


Mighty

by robinwritesallthethings



Series: Dacre Montgomery Characters [5]
Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Asexual Billy Cranston, Body Image, Body Swap, Domestic Violence, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Heavy Petting, Language, Loss of Virginity, Oral Sex, Romance, Self-Insert, Sex Talk, Superheroes, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2020-11-23 04:41:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 54,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20886284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robinwritesallthethings/pseuds/robinwritesallthethings
Summary: The last thing Robin Ballard ever expected to be was a Power Ranger, especially because it makes her long-standing crush on Angel Grove superstar Jason Scott a lot more complicated.





	1. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin arrives at Saturday detention and ends up sitting next to Jason Scott.

**Robin**

I clutch my notebook against my chest, taking a deep breath as I head down the stairs into weekend detention. This was what I wanted, but I hadn’t counted on Jason Scott ending up here. He’s giving Colt Wallace, our school’s resident bully, a speech about not messing with Billy Cranston.

I like Billy. I know that most of the other kids think he’s strange, but he just has autism. It’s really not that complicated. It’s odd that Jason would stand up for him, though. He’s not a bad guy, but he doesn’t usually spend his time worrying about the underdogs.

Then again, he’s been different since his accident. A little more withdrawn, a little more stoic. No one seems to have noticed. Not the way I have. They’re more concerned that Jason ruined our football season. It was his last chance to get noticed by scouts because he’s a senior, like me. Everyone in town knows his dad was really mad about that.

I slip into a seat at the only open table while he finishes talking, glancing longingly at his back. No one notices Jason the way I do. I’ve been head over heels for him since I moved to Angel Grove my freshman year. But I’m a quiet, shy bookworm. Jason is a jock superstar. We don’t make any sense together, as much as I want us to. Jason has definitely never shown any interest in me. He probably knows that I exist, but that’s the most positive thing I can say about us.

I flush as detention starts and Jason slides into the seat next to me. I know it was just the closest, most convenient spot, but it’s still unnerving. I curl up in my chair, trying to disappear into my sweater as the scent of his cologne washes over me. He smells so good, and I can’t suppress a little shiver. Hopefully he doesn’t realize it has anything to do with him.

As the teacher makes announcements, Jason pulls his book open to study. I open my notebook beside him, looking at the list of homework that I need to do. At least it will be quiet here. I should be able to get it all done.

Jason shifts next to me and moves his arm. When he moves it back, there’s something written in the margin of my page.

_How’d you end up here?_

I peek at him through the tendrils of hair I’ve let fall into my face. His arms are curved around his book now, but his striking blue eyes are trained on me, and he’s smiling. I blink owlishly, willing my heart to stop beating so fast as I pick up my pen to reply. I’m sure he can hear. It’s going to give me away.

_Mouthed off in class_, I answer vaguely.

It’s not a lie. I told Mr. Zinkel that he was wrong about something in our history book and he got angry about it. I leave out that I did it on purpose so I’d have to spend my weekends here, though. Jason couldn’t possibly understand why I needed to do that.

He always knows what to do. He’s a natural leader. Even when a situation goes horribly wrong, like it did with the prank that landed him here, he doesn’t lose any confidence. I’d give anything to be like that.

His arm moves again. _You?_ His smile has turned into a wide, disbelieving grin. I nod in response, not writing anything down. _Which one?_

_Zinkel_, I write back.

_What’d you say?_

_Told him he was wrong about something in the book._

Jason chuckles softly. _Ballsy. I like it._

I swallow as I feel myself blush. If he knew the truth, he wouldn’t think it was ballsy at all. I know I have a bad habit of trying to run away from my problems. It just seems so much easier than facing them. Why make things more complicated than they already are?

Jason is now staring resolutely at his book, but he’s smirking.

I decide to start with my English homework. It’s my favorite, so I know I should save it for last, but I’m not sure I could focus on anything else right now.

Jason pulls his own English homework out of his bag. We’re in the same class, and for a moment, I think he’s going to try and copy off of me. But he just starts working, his brow furrowing in concentration as he stares at the paper and scratches out answers in his horrible handwriting.

I worry my lower lip again as I read his answers. Almost all of them are wrong. After a second, I write in the margins of my notebook and slide it over to him.

He turns his head and reads what I wrote. _Those are all wrong._

He laughs softly. _Yeah. I’m awful at English._

I raise an eyebrow. _Then why are you in the advanced class?_

He shrugs. _My dad made me._

_Want some help?_

He turns now, looking at me fully. I can hardly think when I look right at him, I realize. He’s just so perfect. It’s kind of unfair, because I don’t even think he’s trying.

We can’t really talk since we’re in detention, but he nods. I leave the notebook in between us so we can keep using it. There’s a big pole that mostly obscures our table from the teacher, and he’s not really paying attention. I doubt he’ll notice us. What would he do, anyway? Give us detention? We’ve all been sentenced to come here for the rest of the year. They can’t make it much worse than that.

It goes a lot slower than if I were doing it myself, but I want to be patient with him. He’s smart. I’ve been in other classes with him too, so I know. And he’s smart in a lot of ways that don’t involve how much you’ve learned about one thing.

We’re almost done by the time detention is over. The teacher dismisses us, so I stand and start to pack my things, assuming that whatever odd little moment we’ve had is over now. But then Jason reaches out and touches my shoulder. “Hey,” he says. “Thanks for helping me today.”

I shake my head, cursing inwardly as I feel myself blush again. He probably thinks I’m an idiot. “It’s no problem, really,” I assure him quietly, hoping I’m smiling and not making some other weird facial expression.

He rubs the back of his neck and adds, “If it really isn’t, would you, um, keep studying with me? My dad is already mad about the whole football thing. He’s going to kill me if I can’t get my grades up, especially since I’m stuck at home all the time now.”

He leans down and tugs his pant leg up, exposing the ankle monitor attached to it. I nod, remembering that he’s not just in detention. He’s on house arrest. “Yeah, of course,” I agree. “I’d be happy to.”

And I really would. Even if I didn’t like Jason, I’d take any excuse to get out of going home. I dig into my backpack and hand him my phone. “Put your number in,” I instruct him. “You can text me whenever you have questions, and I don’t mind coming to your house.”

“Sure,” he answers, tapping his number into the phone. As he returns it, I send him a quick text so that he has my number too. He throws his backpack over his shoulder and rubs the back of his neck again. “Do you want to come with me now? We have a paper due next week, right?”

“Yeah, we do.”

“Yeah, I definitely haven’t started that yet.”

“We could figure out what you want to write about and start an outline,” I offer.

“All of that sounds great.”

A giggle escapes me before I can stop it. I look at him sheepishly, hoping that he isn’t offended. But he doesn’t seem to be. “Let’s go!” He’s clearly excited to leave, and I can hardly blame him. Detention isn’t that exciting. “My house isn’t far. We can walk there. I still haven’t fixed my truck after the accident. You don’t have a car, right?”

I shake my head. How does he know that? “I don’t drive,” I explain. It’s just one more thing I’m afraid of.

I have to skip a little to catch up to him in the hallway. He’s taller than me, so his legs are longer. He notices, so he reaches back and grabs my hand, slowing down at the same time. His palm is warm against mine, and suddenly I feel like I can barely breathe.

Jason Scott is holding my hand. I don’t know what kind of alternate universe I’ve suddenly landed in, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to kill me.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin goes home with Jason to study.

**Jason**

I have to concentrate on walking slowly enough so Robin can keep up with me. I don’t want to be rude and drag her down the sidewalk. I just really want some distance from the school. It’s the bane of my existence lately. Everyone there hates me. Of course, everyone in town hates me too. I can’t go anywhere without someone giving me a dirty look.

Robin hasn’t yet, though. I didn’t think she would. She doesn’t really care about football. I don’t think she understands it, even though she went to every game until this year. She had to, though. She was in the marching band then. She’s not anymore.

“Sorry,” I apologize suddenly.

She glances at me curiously. “For what?”

I shrug. “Rushing you out of there. I’ve just felt like a caged animal lately. First it was a hospital bed while my leg healed, then the house arrest, and now I have detention every Saturday for the rest of the year. If I’m not careful, I’m going to go nuts.”

Which is why I’m seriously considering Billy’s offer from earlier. He caught us right before we headed out. If he could really deactivate my ankle monitor…

I shake my head to myself slightly. It’s way too risky. Making dumb decisions is how I ended up here. I shouldn’t make any more.

Robin smiles at me reassuringly. “I wasn’t going to beg to stay, Jason.”

I laugh. “Yeah, I figured. But still.”

Her eyes flick between us to our linked hands. She’s still blushing too. I know she gets nervous easily. She blushes whenever she’s embarrassed in class.

“You’re not uncomfortable, are you?” I ask, holding up our hands and gesturing to them with my head.

She takes a moment to process what I’ve said. “Oh!” she realizes. “No, I don’t mind. It’s, um, it’s actually nice.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “But I know I’m a little, uh, touchy-feely for some people, I guess.”

“I don’t mind,” she repeats. “I like to be touched.”

I tilt my head. I wouldn’t have guessed that about her. Usually she seems to actively avoid other people. I squeeze her hand a little tighter as we get back to my house.

“Home sweet home,” I sigh once we’re inside. “Um, my parents aren’t here yet. Won’t be for a few hours. Is that okay with yours?”

“Yeah. I texted my mom to tell her I was studying with someone. She said whenever I get back tonight is fine.”

I don’t miss the way she says it. She didn’t mention that she was studying with a boy, or else I’m sure her mom would have had a different opinion. Not because of me, specifically. I’ve had a few girlfriends before, but I’m not a player. It’s just that, generally, parents of teenage girls don’t want them hanging out in a house alone with teenage boys.

“Cool.” I hold the door open for her, letting go of her hand as she heads in. I feel oddly empty after I do it. But I shake it off and head straight for the fridge. I’m starving. I yank it open and glance back at her. “Want anything?”

She blinks and bites her lower lip. Her eyes flicker and she clutches the notebook she left out of her bag, the one we wrote our notes in today, to her chest tightly. “No thank you. I’m fine.”

I stare at her for a moment too long. I don’t think she’s really fine. She didn’t eat anything all day, and detention started at 9 AM. I’ve seen her sitting by herself at lunch, or sometimes with Billy. She doesn’t eat much at school either. Sometimes she’ll eat one of those oatmeal cookie things with the fake cream in the middle, but after she does, she always looks guilty about it.

I’ve heard the mean things people say about her weight, and suddenly I wonder if anyone’s bothered to tell her that she’s beautiful just the way she is, especially if she’s happy with it. I leave it alone for now. I don’t want to make her more self-conscious. I grab a leftover sandwich and something to drink and lead her to my room.

“Sorry that it’s kind of a mess,” I apologize again, setting my food down on my dresser for a second so I can throw everything that’s on the bed on the floor. I straighten the blankets, letting her sit down before I sit next to her.

She wiggles around a bit, trying to get comfortable. She’s breathing a little funny, and I hope she’s okay. I take a big bite of my sandwich and then say, through my mouthful of food, “So, uh, the English paper…”

She nods and starts pulling everything out of her backpack. She seems to do better with something to focus on. “Yeah,” she starts. “Let’s read the guidelines and do some planning, all right?”

“Sure.”

We work for the next hour or so. I follow her lead. She’s the smarter one out of the two of us, definitely. She’s not one of those kids who’s great at everything, but she does really well in English. She likes it. She’s always got her nose stuck in a book practically every time I see her.

My mom pokes her head in when she and my dad get home. I introduce Robin, who waves shyly back at her. Before my mom can say much of anything, though, my dad calls her back to the kitchen. He’s in a bad mood, and that means he’s going to talk about me.

Their voices carry, so Robin hears everything, of course. My dad thinks I’m basically worthless now. My mom wants him to go easy on me, but it doesn’t matter. I bite my tongue, reaching over and grabbing one of my old baseball trophies off a pile of junk in the corner of my room. I angrily snap the figure off and toss the pieces onto my floor.

“Jason…” Robin murmurs next to me.

I feel her touch my arm. I know she’s about to say something nice, but, suddenly, I don’t want to hear it. I just want out of this house and out of this town for a little bit so I can clear my head.

“Come on,” I interrupt her, slipping my hand into hers and yanking her to her feet. “Let’s go to Billy’s.”

“O… okay…” she stammers, following me as I grab my backpack and slide out of my window. It’s on the first floor, so it’s not far, but she still hesitates. I reach up for her and help her down. “Thanks,” she whispers.

We’re standing right in front of each other. I’m taller than her, so she’s looking up at me. Her face is flushed again. It’s a really pretty shade of pink. I feel like we’re having a moment or something, but I’m not sure what it’s about just yet. So I break it by saying, “We’ll have to take my bike to make it on time. You can ride on my handlebars.”

I tug her around the house to grab it as she protests. “No, Jason, I can’t do that. Look, I’ll just meet you there, all right? I won’t be far behind. He can deal with your thing and then…”

“It’s no trouble,” I insist.

She’s probably thinking she’s going to slow me down, but she won’t. I turn, grabbing her and lifting her onto the front of the bike.

“How did you do that?” she asks faintly.

I grin at her. “Do what?”

“Lift me like that,” she mumbles, turning bright red.

“It’s easy,” I answer. “You don’t weigh that much.” She looks at me skeptically as I get closer to her so I can place her hands in the right spots. “Hang on right here, okay?”

“Jason, I’m not even wearing a helmet…”

“You don’t need one,” I explain, getting on my bike, standing on the pedals and perching my chin on her shoulder so I can see. “I’m good at this. Just don’t let go.”


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason takes Robin to Billy’s and then out into Angel Grove.

**Jason**

We make it to Billy’s with just four minutes to spare. I jump off my bike, wrapping one arm around Robin’s waist to lift her down on the way. I ignore Billy’s mother, who’s elated to see me at her door, and fly down the stairs.

I’m so absorbed in him tricking my ankle monitor that I don’t notice anything else until he’s done. When it actually works, I throw my arms around him to thank him.

He stiffens and nods. “Can you stop touching me now?” he requests. I grimace and back off. I forgot that Billy’s autism means he doesn’t like to be touched. “Maybe you should give her a hug,” he continues, gesturing at Robin. “I think she needs one.”

I turn and look at her. She’s white as a sheet and she’s shaking. I move towards her, reaching out to cup her elbows in my palms. “Whoa, Robin. What’s wrong?”

“That was terrifying, Jason!” she blurts out. “You were going way too fast, and neither of us had any protective gear on! I told you I didn’t want to do it, but you didn’t listen!”

My eyes widen as she starts to cry. I hadn’t realized that she was scared. I pull her closer, letting her cry into my chest. “Hey, hey, it’s okay,” I whisper soothingly. “I’m sorry, Robin. I’m so sorry. I won’t do it next time, okay? I promise.”

I keep rubbing her back, letting her get it all out until she stops shaking and is just sniffling. I wipe her face with my t-shirt and try to smile, wanting to kick myself for being inconsiderate. “I’m sorry,” I repeat sincerely. “I didn’t know you were scared. I should have paid more attention.”

She sniffles one more time and asks, “Next time?”

I grin. “Yeah. Next time.”

“Why would there even be a next time?” she wonders. “You must think I’m crazy or stupid or too scared.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think any of those things, Robin,” I assure her. “It was my fault, not yours.” I squeeze her gently and she looks down at my chest shyly.

“Sorry I cried all over your shirt,” she murmurs.

“It’s okay. It’s just a shirt.” I pause, looking at Billy, who is steadfastly pretending that we’re not here. “Come with me tonight?” I ask her impulsively. “I have to take Billy where he needs to go, and then we can have a few hours to ourselves.”

“Where would we go?” she wonders.

“There’s a place I like to go and think. We could go there. Nothing scary, I promise.”

She looks uncertain for a moment, but then she bites her lower lip and nods.

“You ready to go, Billy?” I ask.

“Definitely ready,” he agrees, turning around with a bunch of stuff in his arms.

“Then let’s go.”

**Robin**

I wait by the van while Jason helps Billy carry his things. Billy assured us that he didn’t need help after that, and he doesn’t lie.

I never in a million years imagined that I’d be alone with Jason Scott. At night. After spending an hour sitting on his bed. And he’s touched me more today than I ever could have hoped for. But I’m not sure why I agreed to this. It’s a little crazy.

Before I can overthink it, though, Jason is back and taking my hand. “Come on,” he urges. “The ridge is this way.” I follow him, staying quiet. Of course, he notices. He’s far more observant than I gave him credit for. “What’s up?” he asks.

I stop walking, letting go of his hand and crossing my arms over my chest. “I’m just not sure this is a good idea,” I admit softly.

He tilts his head. “What are you afraid of, Robin?” he wonders.

I snort. “Um, how about everything, Jason? We snuck into the mine. What if we trash Billy’s mom’s van? What if he was wrong about your ankle monitor and it’s about to go off?”

He shrugs. “None of that stuff is going to happen. Don’t worry about it.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Has that philosophy worked out well for you so far?”

He lets out a short laugh. There’s something slightly self-conscious beneath it, but I only catch it because I know what he usually sounds like so well. For a moment, I think he’s going to get mad at me and storm off, but then he nods. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.” He holds his hand out to me again and gestures in the direction of the ridge. “Come on.”

Before I can really think about it, I’m taking his hand and following him. As we make our way up to the ridge, he glances at me and says, “If you’re so nervous, why did you come?”

I sigh. What am I supposed to say? I was upset and not thinking, and even if I had been, you would have dazzled me anyway? So I shrug back at him this time. “I didn’t know what we would be doing,” I point out. “I don’t misbehave.”

Now he snorts. “You remember that we spent all day in detention, right?”

We reach the top of the ridge. It looks out over all of Angel Grove. It’s beautiful. Romantic, even. Too bad that that’s not why we’re here.

Jason stares out at the lights of the city as I finally answer, “That wasn’t my fault. Zinkel’s just high on power because it’s his last year, and the school doesn’t want to go to the trouble to rein him in.”

Jason turns his gaze on me again, his blue eyes shining brightly in the darkness. “True. And everybody knows that, Robin. You knew better, but you did it anyway. So what’s the real story?”

I bite down on my lower lip, rolling it between my teeth. I can’t answer that question without spilling everything about my stupid screwed up life to Jason, and I don’t want to do that. But I can tell by the look on his face that I have to tell him something before he’ll give the topic up.

“I’m not like you, Jason,” I admit softly. “I’ve never been popular. I’m not a star. I’m not brave or spontaneous. I like to plan everything so I know how it will go. Honestly, I’m just biding my time until I can leave this place and never look back.”

Jason blinks. “I didn’t realize you felt that way about Angel Grove.”

I don’t explain that it’s not the place that’s the problem.

“So leave with me,” he says abruptly. “Right now.”

I laugh. “We can’t do that, Jason.”

Not that I haven’t imagined running away with him before. It’s definitely my into the sunset fantasy.

“Why not?” he challenges. He takes my other hand in his, tugging me to face him, intertwining our fingers and raising our hands between us. His palms are warm against mine again. I honestly feel like I might faint. “We’re both eighteen,” he continues. “It’s not like the cops would come looking for us or anything. So come on.”

I jump as a twig snaps behind me. Jason pulls me into his arms and against his side, tensing before a familiar figure slides out of the darkness. “Kimberly Hart,” Jason murmurs as he relaxes. “Hey.”

Now I’m the one who’s tense. Kimberly is a super popular cheerleader who just broke up with her boyfriend. I’m sure she has a crush on Jason, and I bet he has one on her too. Why wouldn’t he? She’s everything he deserves, unlike me.

“Running away together, huh?” Kimberly wonders. “Don’t suppose you’d take me with you?”

I’m thankful that it’s dark and a little chilly outside, because I’m blushing furiously.

But before I can say anything, a huge explosion rocks the ridge.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin and Jason aren’t sure what to think after they survive a harrowing train crash completely intact.

**Jason**

I pull Robin closer as the explosion goes off. “Billy,” I mutter.

We better go check to see if he’s okay. I keep Robin’s hand in mine, guiding her down the mountain. Kimberly is following us too.

When we arrive, Billy isn’t alone, and one of the new kids with him, who I think I recognize from school, is hacking into a depression left by one of the rocks. He’s talking about getting rich and Billy looks distressed, so I step in.

“Hey, whatever these are, Billy found them, so he gets to decide what to do with them,” I point out.

“What are they?” Robin wonders beside me.

“I don’t know…” Billy responds, picking the blue one up.

They look like gemstones set in some kind of metal. I reach for the red one, turning it over in my hand. Robin reaches for the one next to it, which is purple.

Then the other new kid hollers at all of us. “Security! Everybody get out of here!”

“Shit,” I mumble.

I shove the red stone in my pocket, grabbing Billy with one arm and Robin with the other, then turn to pull them both back to the van. I’m scrambling, going as fast as I can on the gravel, when I feel Robin’s feet slip out from under her beside me. She rolls, and I can tell that her arms are torn up pretty badly.

But we can’t stop. I shove Billy into the driver’s seat, then pull Robin into the back. She’s crying, and I take a moment to inwardly curse at myself. I got her hurt again, after I promised I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

Billy isn’t going fast enough. I stand up behind his seat, reaching my leg forward and slamming on the gas pedal. “Floor it!” I yell.

If we get caught up here, we are going to be in a lot of trouble.

“What about the others?” Billy yells back.

I peer out the window and realize that I can see at least two of them running on some slightly higher ground nearby.

“I’ll get them!” I throw the side door open again. “Get in!”

I hold my arm out, tugging each of them in one by one. The only person missing now is the guy who was trying to take the stones. Then there’s a huge thud and I realize that something has landed on the roof. I stick my head outside and see that it’s him. I pull him in too and finally shut the door.

I fall back into the van’s seat, my chest heaving with the exertion. But I’m not thinking about myself right now. Robin is scrunched up against the other door of the van, still crying. I pull her into my arms, rocking her back and forth and whispering gently.

“Shh. It’s okay, Robin. I’m going to get you all fixed up, okay? I promise.”

My breath hitches on the word promise. How many more can I make that I’m not going to be able to keep?

I’m not even paying attention to what’s going on outside the car, so I’m not prepared when the train hits us.

**Robin**

I sit straight up in bed, gasping for air. As I slowly realize that I’m in my room, I look around for any clues about how I got here.

Because I’m pretty sure that I died in Jason Scott’s arms last night when a train hit the van we were in. And while I’ve had many dreams about Jason before, that has never been one of them.

The sun is streaming through my window, which is weird. I never wake up late. As I glance at the clock, I blink to make sure I’m seeing it right. It’s almost 6 PM. I slept all day. I never do that.

I frown as I look down at myself. My clothes are definitely ripped up, and there’s dirt all over my arms from when I fell. But there aren’t any scratches or wounds at all. That’s literally impossible, isn’t it? I mean, you hear crazy stories all the time about people who get into accidents and don’t have a scratch on them, but the gravel was before the crash, and I was definitely hurt.

I stand and dig into the pockets of my jeans. That purple gem is in one. I toss it onto the bed since it’s really not my biggest concern right now. My phone is in the other. Thankfully, it seems intact. I find Jason’s number with one hand as I take my shirt off, going to grab some new clothes.

When I pull the drawer open, I yank it right out of my dresser. I frown. That’s never happened before. That drawer always gets stuck.

Then I go to shove it back in and the entire dresser frame cracks around it.

“What is going on?” I mumble to myself.

I ignore it for now because I’ve just noticed how different my body looks. I’ve always been a little on the heavier side. Not fat, like most kids call me, but bigger for sure. And I still am, to a certain extent. My curves haven’t vanished. But I’m definitely fitter. More… solid.

Before I can process any of that, I jump because my phone rings. It’s Jason, so I answer it.

“Jason? Are you all right?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing, Robin. I am, I guess? I threw up,” he admits. “But, uh, other than that, I seem fine. More than fine, actually. My, uh.” He pauses. “This is going to sound crazy.”

“Say it, Jason,” I whisper.

“My leg is fixed. Like, completely fixed. It wasn’t ever supposed to get entirely better. And I’m, uh...”

“Fitter?” I wonder, trying to be tactful. “Like, just… better than before?”

“Yeah. You too?”

“Yeah.”

I don’t know what else to say. What do you say in a situation like this?

“Will you, um, come over?” Jason asks.

The request surprises me. “You want me to come over?”

“Well, yeah.”

He sounds strange. Vulnerable. It makes sense, I suppose, considering what just happened. Not that we know what that is.

“Of course,” I assure him. “I’ll be there in a few minutes, okay?”

“Okay.”

I don’t really have time to shower. I’m not sure I want to erase the evidence just yet, anyway. I finish getting dressed, grab my backpack, and head out the door. Luckily, Jason’s house isn’t far from mine.

On the way, I call Billy to make sure he’s okay. He gives me pretty much the same strange answers as Jason did, but at least he’s all right. By the time I hang up, I’m on Jason’s doorstep, so I can’t check on the others. I don’t know how to get in touch with them anyway.

I raise my hand to knock and Jason throws open the door. His hair is mussed, his eyes are wide, and he’s not wearing a shirt. For a moment, I just stare. I’ve seen him without a shirt before, of course. Pretty much the whole school has. But up close like this, it’s a little different.

I gulp and quickly try to gather myself. We’re dealing with a serious situation here. My crush should definitely take a backseat. Besides, I don’t want him to think I just see him as a piece of meat. I like him, not just his body.

I open my mouth, hoping something coherent will come out of it, but before anything can, Jason steps onto the porch and pulls me into his arms, crushing me against his bare chest. I squeak, my cheek pressed against his warm skin as he buries his hand in my hair.

“God, Robin,” he murmurs. “I thought I got you killed. I’m so sorry.”

“Oh.” That’s what he was so upset about? “It’s okay, Jason, really.”

He shakes his head and tightens his hold on me. I peek up at his face, my hands resting against his chest. “It’s really not, Robin,” he protests. “I brought you out there last night. If anything had happened to you because of me, I never would have forgiven myself.”

“You were there too, Jason,” I remind him. “Whatever happened to me happened to you too.”

“I don’t care about what happens to me, in case you haven’t noticed,” he says seriously. “I care about what happens to other people because of me. You didn’t even want to come. I made you.”

I sigh, once again willing my heart to stop beating so fast. He’s definitely going to notice when I’m pressed up against him like this. “Jason, you didn’t make me do anything,” I disagree. “I know I was… reluctant, but I did want to come. I swear.”

It maybe wasn’t the best decision I’ve ever made, but I don’t have it so bad that I’m just going to do anything for the guy I have a crush on. I learned that lesson in middle school.

Jason finally pulls back. He grabs my wrists gently, turning my arms over to look at them. “Your arms were all torn up,” he mutters. “I saw them.”

I look down at his leg. Sure enough, he’s not wearing his brace anymore. But his jeans are ripped up just like mine were. Good thing that look is in right now.

I trace an angry bruise on his chest with my fingers, making sure not to be too rough. “What’s this?”

He shrugs. “No idea. It must have been pretty bad. It’s gotten better since I woke up, though.”

“Are you, um, unusually strong, by chance? Like… more than normal?”

He nods slowly. “I reached out to put my hand on the sink this morning and just destroyed the corner of it.”

“I broke my dresser,” I reveal, softy adding, “None of this makes sense.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Jason sighs. “And I want to talk more about it, but I have family night tonight. Even with my monitor hacked, they’ll know if I’m gone because they’ll be here for once.”

“Why did you ask me to come over, then?” I blurt out.

I didn’t mean to ask that, really, but at this point, I’m just happy to have something normal to ask.

He blushes and shrugs shyly. “I wanted to see that you were okay,” he confesses. “I thought if I just asked over the phone, you might tell me you were when you really weren’t.”

I don’t really know what to do with that answer, so I automatically move to reassure him. “I really am, Jason. Weirded out, definitely. But we’ll figure that out, I guess. Right?”

“Right,” he agrees softly. “I’ll walk you to school tomorrow,” he offers. “We can talk. And then find the others once we’re there and see if the same things are happening to them.”

“They are to Billy. I called him on my way over.”

He nods. “Then it probably happened to all of us, whatever it is.”

“Probably.”

For a moment, we just stand, loosely wrapped in each other’s arms. It’s hard for me to believe that I’m here with him like this. It’s even harder for me to believe that it’s not the first thing on my mind.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Robin,” Jason finally murmurs.

“Tomorrow, Jason.”

I step off the porch to head home, looking back over my shoulder once. Jason is standing in the doorway watching me.

I turn away again, and I can’t help smiling. I know that it’s just because of what’s happened to us, but it’s going to be nice to have him paying attention to me for a while.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin and Jason continue to deal with the question of what happened to them, and also struggle with their secret attraction to each other.

**Jason**

When I stop by Robin’s the next morning, she’s already standing on the porch. She’s yawning, and there are bags under her eyes. I frown. She slept all day yesterday, but considering how badly she must have been hurt, I suppose that didn’t matter.

“You okay?” I ask her, automatically reaching for her hand as she falls into step beside me.

“Yeah,” she yawns again. “Just didn’t sleep well.”

“Why not?” I wonder.

Her eyes flick to me uncertainly. She pauses just a little too long before she finally says, “Just worried about what’s happening, I think.”

I nod, then stop as I see that we’re walking by the diner. I redirect her to the door. She follows me inside and doesn’t ask any questions, but raises her eyebrows when I order two coffees to go and hand her one. “Thanks,” she murmurs, looking down at it curiously.

“You like coffee, right? I’ve seen you drink it at school before.”

“Um, yeah. I do. I’m just, uh, surprised that you noticed.”

Her eyes widen and she blushes, as if she’s said something that she shouldn’t. I bite my lip briefly, then decide not to say anything. The truth is that I’ve noticed her far more than anyone realizes, but I’m not an idiot.

My accident made me realize a lot of things about myself. I was a self-centered jerk jock for most of high school. Not that I think I’m a terrible person. Just not someone worthy of someone like her. She’s sweet and smart, and she should have someone who can keep up with her and treat her like she deserves. Not someone who keeps promising to keep her safe and then failing. And that’s just the beginning of why I’m wrong for her.

I don’t know why I started talking to her in detention on Saturday. Maybe because I felt bad for never acknowledging her before. Maybe because I wanted her to know that I’m not some stereotype. Not anymore, at least. Maybe because I selfishly just wanted to hang out with someone who wouldn’t look at me like I killed their dog for ruining our football season.

I meant what I said to her on the ridge. I’d run away with her and never look back. I’d go someplace where nobody knew who I used to be or that I was supposed to be some big football star. I’d start over. And no one would question why someone like me was with someone like her. No one would look sideways at us and wonder what she was doing with an idiot sports buff like me.

I’ve stayed silent long enough to make it super awkward. So I just pretend like we never said those last few things at all and turn the conversation to the topic that we should probably be more worried about.

“So, um, what’s the last thing you remember about Saturday night?”

I can’t remember how we survived the crash, what happened to the van, how we got home, or anything until I woke up the next afternoon. I’m hoping she can fill in some blanks.

“Nothing,” she immediately answers. I imagine that she’s already carefully sorted through her thoughts and come up with as much of an answer to every question there is that she can. She’s organized like that, like when she was helping me with my essay. “I remember…” She swallows nervously before she continues. “I remember you… holding me. In the van. And then nothing until I woke up yesterday.”

“Yeah, that’s the last thing I remember too,” I say thoughtfully.

“Okay,” she decides. “We just have to think about this logically, right? There’s an explanation. We just don’t know what it is. So what weird stuff have we noticed since the accident? Let’s start there.”

“Good idea. Well, um, we know the train hit us. We both agree on that. So how did we survive? What happened to the van? And how did we get home?”

“Maybe the train somehow just pushed us off the tracks. I know it’s not likely, but you hear crazy stories about stuff like that happening sometimes, right? So maybe we just got knocked out.”

“Maybe,” I agree. She’s right. You hear amazing stories of people surviving car crashes and stuff with basically no injuries all the time. “But…”

“But if someone found us, why didn’t we wake up in a hospital?”

She knows exactly what I’m thinking. “Right. I feel like, even if we were all right inside the van, the van wouldn’t have been fine. You said Billy was all right? Does he remember driving us home?”

She shakes her head. “No, he asked me how we got back too. Wondered if one of us had driven. Maybe it was Kimberly, or one of those other kids. I didn’t know how to get in touch with them to check.”

“Is the van at Billy’s house?”

“No. Maybe one of them borrowed it to get home after dropping him off?”

But she doesn’t sound like she really believes that, and I don’t either.

“So we need more information to really answer those questions, right?” She nods. “What about the other stuff? Both of us had injuries that healed really fast. Your arms. My leg. Whatever else happened to us that we don’t remember.”

“And the crazy strength,” she adds.

“Yeah. And these.” I let go of her hand and pull the red gemstone out of my pocket. She pulls the purple one out of hers. “Does yours… follow you?” I ask, hoping that’s not just me.

“Mmhmm. I left it on my bed before I came over to your house yesterday, but when I was walking, I felt it in my pocket. And there was this weird… sound and feeling I got right before I noticed it.”

“Me too.” By now, we’ve arrived at school. “We should get everyone together and meet at lunch if we can. Find out what they remember and if the same things are happening to them.”

“I’ll see Billy in math. I can ask him then. If not, I have his number. He’s my lab partner in physics, so we’ve done a few projects at his house together.”

“Kimberly’s in my history class. I’ll see if she’s up for it. I don’t know about the other two, though.”

“Me either. I’ll keep an eye out and let them know if I see them.”

“Me too.” I stay with her, walking to her locker. She glances at me briefly as she realizes that I know where it is without her telling me. I just smile at her in response. “If you need me, Robin, just call, all right?”

“All right, Jason. Thank you. For walking me to school. And the coffee.”

Before I can overthink it, I bend down and gently kiss her cheek. I feel the heat coming off of her skin as I pull away and quickly head to my first class, not looking back because I’m honestly afraid of whatever look is on her face.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and Robin get the group back together and begin to put their new powers to the test.

**Robin**

I stand at my locker and stare as Jason walks away. Once he’s disappeared, I slowly raise my free hand to my cheek and touch it softly.

He kissed me. And it wasn’t just a peck. He took his time doing it. If this was any other day, I would spend all my time analyzing every little interaction we’ve had to figure out what it means. But right now, I’ve got a few more things to be concerned about.

I catch Billy in class and he agrees to meet me and Jason at lunch. Jason gets Kimberly to join us. She doesn’t have any more answers than we do, so Jason suggests that we go back to the mine. None of us can find any reason to disagree with him. If there’s an explanation for all of this, it’s probably there.

Jason’s waiting for me at my locker after my last class. He grabs my hand again and leads me to the parking lot. Apparently Kimberly’s going to drive. I’m surprised when Jason opens the back door for me and lets me get in, then slides in beside me, letting Billy take the front. I thought Jason would want to sit up front with her.

But he just takes my hand again, squeezing it comfortingly as he smiles at me.

We’re all quiet on the ride. I think we’re unsettled. I suppose some people wouldn’t be upset about suddenly having what seem to be superpowers of some sort, but we don’t know anything. What are our limitations? Was this a one-time thing? And how did it happen, anyway? It has to have something to do with the gems, but what, exactly?

We leave Kimberly’s car and hike back up to the spot where we all met last night. The other boy is there. Zack. I remembered him from school after racking my brain for a while. He’s skipped a lot recently. He has to have been expelled or something by now.

The other girl is there too, on top of the ridge. I don’t know her. If she goes to Angel Grove, she’s not in any of my classes.

I watch as Billy and Kimberly take off after them once our brief talk is over. At the very least, we know everyone’s name now.

I gulp as I watch them. They’re literally starting to jump their way up the cliff. Jason, who has been holding my hand this entire time, lunges forward to join them.

I don’t move. Before yesterday, he would have been able to drag me along with him whether I wanted to go or not. But now I’m just as strong as him, apparently. Which is more than a little weird, I’ll admit.

“What?” he asks, grinning at me. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

I shake my head. “Not when you’re scared of heights.”

At least that one feels like a legitimate fear. A fear that makes sense to other people. I had no problem walking up the ridge last night, but that was when we were on a path and not close to the edge at all.

“You don’t have to be scared, Robin. Look at them. We’ll be able to do the same thing.”

“I don’t know how to do that, Jason.”

Suddenly, I can see the conflict in his eyes. It’s like he’s remembering what I told him after the bike ride. He looks the same as he did then.

“You can go, Jason,” I assure him. “I’ll just wait here.”

“I don’t want you to miss it, though,” he protests. “What if we find something?”

“I’m sure you’ll tell me all about it. It’s fine.”

He bites his lip and looks at his feet. “What if I promise not to let go of your hand?” he bargains, stepping closer and touching my chin with his fingers lightly. “I won’t let you fall, Robin. I swear. It won’t be like Saturday night.”

I glance back up, then look at his face. He’s so eager and hopeful, and I break. “You won’t let go?”

I have to make sure. Jason nods. “I promise, Robin,” he repeats.

“Okay.”

Then we’re running. I expect to trip again like I did Saturday, but oddly enough, I don’t. It’s like I just know what to do. Or maybe it’s that I can finally keep up with him. I’m not sure.

It’s honestly sort of exhilarating.

I jump when Jason jumps, up over the spot where Billy found the stones and onto the cliff. Then we’re climbing. It’s a little awkward since our hands are linked, but we hardly slow down at all.

We reach the top and catch up with everyone else in record time. Zack is trying to get Trini to stay. But apparently she really doesn’t want to, because instead of talking, she leaps over the chasm in front of us and to the other side.

Zack leaps next, then Kimberly. Jason looks at me, his hand tightening around mine as he backs up to give us some distance.

“You are crazy if you think I’m doing that.”

I try to pull my hand from his, but not hard enough. “They made it just fine, Robin,” he points out. “Come on.”

I shake my head firmly, tugging on his hand harder this time. “It’s a little too much like lemmings off a cliff for me, Jason.”

His expression falters for a moment. At first, I think he’s mad at me. Annoyed that I’m not brave enough or crazy enough to just blindly follow where he’s leading. But as his face settles, I realize that that’s not it.

He’s hurt. And I don’t know why I’m so sure about this, but I can just tell it’s because he wants me to trust him.

I sigh. “You’re still not going to let go?”

He beams at me. He’s stunning when his whole face is lit up like that. “Not a chance, Robin.”

“All right.”

He backs us up more so that we can gain speed before we jump. “As fast as you can, okay?”

I nod. Before all of this happened, that wouldn’t have been very fast at all, but now it’s easy to keep up with him as we get our running start.

I throw myself into the leap as we reach the edge, not wanting to come up short. I force myself to keep my eyes open. I at least want to know if I’m about to die, thank you very much.

We soar through the air. It only lasts a few seconds and then we’re firmly on the ground on the other side of the gorge.

Jason’s feet fall out from under him and his face grinds into the dirt. “Shit!” He’s still clasping my hand tightly, so I kneel down beside him. “Jason, are you okay?”

He rights himself and grimaces. His mouth is bloody. “Yeah,” he assures me. I should be fine in a second.”

“It’s probably because I made you hold my hand. I’m sorry.”

He shakes his head briefly. “Nothing to be sorry for, Robin.”

When we turn to the others, it’s just in time to see Billy fall off of the cliff.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The weight of the group’s new mission is too much for most of them. Jason and Robin stick together and take some time to get to know each other better.

**Robin**

At first, I’m frozen. All of us are. Then we rush to the edge of the cliff and start calling Billy’s name. Jason is still gripping my hand tightly, and I can feel that he’s shaking. It occurs to me that if he’s been blaming himself for putting me in danger, he must feel the same way about everybody else too.

We all relax as Billy calls up to us from the water at the bottom of the canyon. I blow out a breath as everyone starts to jump.

Jason doesn’t even have to ask me this time. I just step off the edge with him.

As we hit the water, I start to float away from him, but then I feel his strong arms around me. We pop up and breach the surface. I notice that his mouth is healed as he smiles at me once more.

“Thanks, Jason,” I tell him, smiling back.

“You never have to be afraid when you’re with me, Robin. I promise.”

The others are swimming down to investigate something that we can see just below the surface. I nod at Jason and we both dive to catch up with them.

We fall out of the water into a cave. I glance up and realize that it’s suspended above us. “Interesting…” I murmur, peering into the darkness ahead.

It’s not long before we come to a door that slides open, revealing a long metallic hallway. “This is weird,” I point out unnecessarily.

Everyone agrees, but we still head inside.

After a brief altercation with a strange robot, we all find ourselves standing in front of a giant face stuck in a wall being told that we’re basically what we thought we were. Superheroes.

“So we’re what? Indestructible or something? Can we die? Because I’m pretty sure we should have died in that train crash,” I reason, wanting to know exactly what we’re in for.

Zordon, which is the name of the head in the wall, eyes me curiously. At least I think that’s what’s happening. It’s hard to tell because of the way he flows back and forth across the screen. “You have enhanced strength, speed, and healing abilities,” he confirms. “And you can certainly die. It will just take more to kill you than the average person.” He pauses, then blinks. “Show me your Power Coin.”

I pull it out of my pocket and hold it up, letting him study it. “I see. Alpha, has the grid adjusted?”

The little robot nods. “Yes, Zordon. There are six spots now.”

“There weren’t before?” Billy chimes in. “It’s an adaptive system?”

I know he’s more intrigued by how the spaceship works than anything else. Billy has always been into figuring out what makes things tick.

“It has always been adaptive to a certain degree,” Zordon explains. “But it’s never been left alone this long before. I can only theorize, but I’m guessing that the other five Power Coins created an excess of power and formed the sixth naturally.”

It all falls apart pretty quickly after that and everyone else leaves. Only Jason and I stay. I get it. I really do. It’s insane to be told that we have eleven days to be ready to save the world, and that our powers aren’t even technically usable yet. How are we supposed to become a unit that fast? It seems impossible, even if we are essentially superhuman now.

Frankly, I’m not even sure that I believe it at the moment. But I know I’m awake. I’m not dreaming. All of this is really happening.

Besides, I’m not leaving Jason here to take the burden all on himself. He may be the leader, like Zordon said, but that doesn’t mean he should have to do this alone.

We catch up to the others back at the water entrance. Jason tells them to be back here tomorrow afternoon to start training. One by one, they leave until it’s just us still in the cave.

He glances at me. He hasn’t stopped holding my hand this entire time. Even when Zordon lifted us off the ground and showed us the vision of Rita destroying the planet, he didn’t let go.

“Thanks for staying,” he says softly, turning to me now and taking my other hand in his.

I shake my head. “I’m not going to let you do this alone, Jason. It’s all so crazy that I’m not sure I really believe it, but I’d rather train and find out that they’re wrong than realize my mistake eleven days from now.”

He nods gravely. “Me too.” He plays with my fingers for a moment, then looks back up at me. “Want to grab dinner? We could talk.”

I blush, glad for the darkness, hoping it will hide the color in my cheeks. I know he’s only asking because now we’re… colleagues, I guess, is the best way to describe it. But it’s still nice to be spending time with him.

“I’d like that, Jason.”

His blue eyes sparkle in the dim light. “Cool. Come on. Let’s go.”

**Jason**

I hold Robin’s hand as we go back through the water and up to the top of the cliff. Then I slow to a walk, content to just be beside her. Kim and the others left already, apparently. They were our ride, but I don’t mind ambling back to town. It’s not that far, especially considering how fast we could run if we wanted. Besides, it gives me more time with her.

We’re quiet until we get to the diner. I think we both needed time to think about what’s happened to us. I’m glad that I won’t have to do it alone, at least. And she’s the one I want with me most. I know it doesn’t mean what I might want it to mean, but it’s something.

I open the door and lead her inside. As we walk in, everyone gets quiet. Robin stops abruptly beside me. I can see her cheeks getting red out of the corner of my eye.

“It’s okay,” I soothe her. “They’re looking at me. Remember?”

“Right,” she breathes softly.

She frowns, looking disapprovingly at everyone inside the diner. It’s sweet that she’s annoyed by them. Once more, I feel like she’s the only one who’s not a fan of hating me.

I smile, squeezing her hand and leading her to an empty booth in the corner. I think about letting go of her as I sit down, but I don’t want to. It’s a little awkward, but I maneuver myself into the seat across from her, keeping hold of her hand the entire time.

I can feel people still staring at us, but I ignore it. I’m getting good at that part, at least.

We order. It seems like we should talk about the obvious thing, but I make another suggestion instead.

“Let’s talk about anything but… you know. What do you think?”

She smiles and nods. “Sure.” She pauses. “I’m not sure you want to talk about this either, Jason, but can I ask you something?”

I nod. “You can ask me anything, Robin. Go ahead.”

She looks at me thoughtfully, then quietly wonders, “Did you really want to be a football player?”

I blink for a second. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, is that what you wanted to do with your life? I know things are different now, but before.”

My brow furrows as I think about the question. Finally, I let out a little laugh. “You know what? No one has ever asked me that, I don’t think. Not in all the years I’ve been playing football.”

“Really?” She pauses as the waitress brings our drinks by and tells us that our food will be out soon. “Did you never think to ask yourself?”

I shrug. “I guess not. Or maybe I avoided the question because I was afraid of the answer.”

“Well, what is the answer?” she presses.

I tilt my head to the side. “It’s, um. Well. It’s… complicated.”

“Why?”

“How much do you know about my dad, Robin?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing, really.”

I nod. She’s not from Angel Grove, so she probably hasn’t heard the history. All of the families who’ve lived here forever know it all too well. “My dad was the star quarterback in high school, just like me,” I explain. “Had a shot at scholarships, being signed, all of that.”

“What happened?”

“He blew out his knee. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was just bad luck, you know? He couldn’t play anymore after that. It was his senior year, he’d been seen by scouts, but none of them wanted him anymore after that, obviously. So he stayed here in Angel Grove. Took over his father’s business, got married, had me.”

“That’s not a bad life,” Robin points out softly, squeezing my hand.

“I don’t know how you do that,” I tell her honestly.

She blushes, looking away from the waitress as she brings our food now. Once she’s gone, Robin turns her face back to me. “Do what?” she asks.

I reluctantly let go of her hand so we can both eat. I’ve been starving all the time ever since we got our powers. We’re probably using more energy or something. I notice that she ordered the same double burger and fries and milkshake that I did. If she wasn’t eating as much as she should before, she must be even hungrier than I am. I’m glad she doesn’t seem nervous eating around me now. Or maybe she just didn’t think about it. Either way, it’s a good thing.

“It’s like you always know what I’m thinking,” I say shyly. “Like you can read it on my face or something.”

Her blush deepens and she breathes in sharply. After a moment, she shakes her head and murmurs, “Just a lucky guess, probably.”

I let it go for now. Maybe she’s right. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part. It’d be nice to have someone who really knows me, though. Especially if it was her.

“It’s not that I think my dad regrets his life,” I clarify. “It’s just that I think he wonders what would have happened if he could have had the chance to do something different, you know? I think that he was living through me, hoping I’d get the chance he never had. And I screwed it up. Not because of some random injury, but because I was an idiot.”

“You didn’t do it on purpose?” she wonders timidly. “Not crash the truck, I mean, but… the prank?”

“No one’s ever asked me that before either,” I tease her, shaking my head. “Nah. I definitely thought we were going to get away with it. Or that the punishment wouldn’t be that bad, even if we were caught. In hindsight, running was a bad idea.”

We eat for a minute, then I continue without her having to ask. “The first memory I have is playing football with my dad in the front yard. That’s all we did. Play football, go to football games, football camp every summer. I guess I just always assumed that if I decided I didn’t want to play football anymore, he’d hate me, you know?”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t, Jason. He’s your dad.”

Her reassurance is quick, but her eyes flicker as she says it, like she doesn’t entirely believe it. She starts to eat her burger, and I have a feeling it’s to keep herself quiet for the next few minutes.

I shrug and let her off the hook. I have no idea what that was about, but if she’s not ready to tell me, that’s fine. We’ve been through so much in the past few days. I’m certainly not going to rush her into anything else.

We eat in silence for a few minutes. As we both start working on our fries, I finally confess, “If I’m being honest, I don’t feel that disappointed that I can’t play football anymore. Or, well, couldn’t, I guess, though it would hardly be fair, or smart, to do it now, if this whole thing is true. I don’t know what I want to do instead, but… it wasn’t that. And maybe my dad would get it, but… I don’t think so. Not at first, at least. He’d wonder why I wanted to give up a chance to…”

“Be somebody,” she chimes in quietly. “I remember what he said when we were in your bedroom.”

I nod and stare down at my fries. I wish she hadn’t heard that. I don’t want her to think the same thing, and the odds are already stacked against me.

“Jason.” She reaches across the table and takes my hand again and I look up at her. “Jason, you’re somebody already,” she assures me. “Without football, without our weird new powers. Just you, by yourself. You’re somebody. And you should know that.”

“Thanks.”

It’s the only safe thing I can think of to say. Anything else would bring up a whole slew of feelings I’m not ready to put out in the open yet.

We finish our dinner, chatting about things like school and movies and stuff like that the rest of the time. I drop her off at her house after, making her promise to text me if she needs anything. I kiss her cheek again before she goes inside, holding her against me as tight as I can. I wish I didn’t have to let go.

When I’m home for the night, I stare out my window and think about how I feel about her. Maybe I should just say something. But I’m so afraid of losing my only ally in all of this craziness that I know I won’t. Not yet, anyway. Not until I can be more sure that she won’t just leave. Not until I get some kind of hint that she might feel the same way about me as I feel about her.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rangers begin training, and while Robin opens up about her family issues, she fears that her remaining dishonesty will prevent her from ever morphing.

**Robin**

I don’t sleep much that night. I’m nervous about training tomorrow, but that’s not even the most pressing thing. I have no idea what to do about Jason. I feel like he thinks no one understands him, but I do. But if I admit how closely I’ve paid attention over the years, he’s going to realize what it means, and I don’t know if I can risk that right now.

Still, it feels like an excuse. We’re superheroes, so we can’t risk any interpersonal issues? That flies in the face of every comic I’ve ever read, every movie I’ve ever seen. It’s just yet another reason to wait for him to notice me. To prolong having to face the disappointment that will inevitably take over when I realize that he doesn’t want me like that.

But I don’t think I can stay just his friend either. That’s only going to last so long before I start to resent that I’m right under his nose and he doesn’t seem to notice. And it’s impossible not to be hopeful when he’s waiting on my doorstep for me again to walk me to school. The longer I wait, the worse it’s going to be.

My mood improves a little when I see that everyone has showed up for our training session. I have no idea how I’m going to perform. I don’t know anything about how to fight. But I don’t know if any of the rest of them do either, so maybe I won’t be too far behind the curve.

We pair off. Jason partners with me. “You ever fought before?” he asks. I shake my head and he smiles. “It’s okay. Let’s just start with some basic moves, okay?”

He shows me everything slowly, making me copy his movements until I get them down. Then he goes faster. We restart every time I make a mistake. Once I’ve mastered everything, he pairs me with Billy to teach him and goes to help some of the others.

The days start to pass in a blur. Kimberly, Trini, and Zack all teach me things too. Even though I had no base knowledge at all, I find myself able to learn quickly, probably largely thanks to my new capabilities. I’m just glad that, for once, I won’t feel like I’m lagging behind everyone else.

I actually start to have fun. Especially when Zack teaches me to run up the wall and flip back off of it, and Kimberly shows me how we can hold hands and swing each other around for kicks. The first time I finally manage to pin Jason when he’s not holding back, he grins up at me happily.

Between all of the training, which leaves us bruised and cut up, I hang out with Jason. We talk about silly things to decompress from all of the superhero stuff and help each other with our homework. In the past, before the whole Ranger thing happened, I would have been hoping that he would have kissed me or asked me to a dance by now.

Not that I’m not still hoping for him to deliver on those dreams eventually. But it’s easier to push it aside when I think about the end of the world hanging over both of our heads. Maybe when we’ve taken care of that, right?

When Jason is busy, I spend my time with Billy. He wants my help trying to figure out where the Zeo Crystal is. He reasons that we can protect it better if we find it, and I definitely agree with him. We decide to keep our search private until we’ve pinpointed a location, though. I don’t even tell Jason about it.

The shadow hanging over all of it is that no matter how hard we work, none of us has morphed yet. Zordon is getting more and more frustrated, and despite Jason’s encouragement, nothing seems to get us any closer.

When Billy finally manages it, he has no idea how, and no one else can figure it out either. Zordon kicks us out, but everyone wants to stay and try to tackle the problem in a different way. I can hardly argue. I’m willing to try anything at this point.

I listen to everybody reveal their secrets. Only Kimberly refuses. My heart clenches as Jason says that everybody knows exactly who he is. I know he’s being sarcastic, but the thought that I’m sitting just inches from him and he doesn’t realize how well I know him makes me start to wonder if my dishonesty is holding us back.

I start to speak before I even actively think about it, but what comes out isn’t what I expected. “I got detention on purpose to get away from my family on Saturdays,” I confess.

I feel Jason’s gaze on me suddenly, but I don’t turn to look at him. I just grip my knees tightly and keep talking before I lose my nerve.

“No one in Angel Grove knows, but my real parents got divorced after my mom had an affair with my stepfather. When they got married, they decided to move to where no one knew. I’m not even supposed to know, but my dad told me before we left. Then he disappeared. He went off to live some new life with a new family.”

I sigh before I continue. “Things aren’t… great at home. They look like they are on the outside, but on the inside, it’s different. They blame me for everything, make me feel bad about myself, and more often than not, I’m the one taking care of my younger brothers.”

I draw my legs up and rest my chin on my knees, still not looking at any of them. “I could barely get my homework done. That’s why I wanted the Saturday detention. So I could get some peace and quiet. I need my grades to stay good enough that I can get a scholarship to college and leave.”

I bite my lip and finally look up at everyone. “It’s not as bad as all of your stuff, I know. It’s just that that’s the secret I have, and if it helps us morph…”

I trail off as they all assure me that my problems don’t have to be the same as theirs to be important. Jason sits down next to me and puts his arm around me. I lean against him gratefully, glad none of them think that my situation isn’t as bad as I say it is. It’s nice to have that kind of support.

But I can’t help thinking that I’m hurting us by not telling the biggest secret I have. What if how I feel about Jason is somehow causing me or everyone else to be unable to morph? Then again, what if I confess and it makes it worse because he doesn’t feel the same way? I feel trapped, and I have no idea what to do. And I can’t exactly ask anybody for advice about it for obvious reasons.

Maybe if I could talk to my mom. But she’d laugh even harder than anybody else would if she found out I had a thing for Jason Scott, the most popular boy in Angel Grove.

And even if I was thinking about telling, I wouldn’t do it in front of everyone. That would put him on the spot, and I’d never do that to him. Besides, it would be far too embarrassing to make him reject me in front of everyone.

We all make our way home together. I peel off from Jason last, waving and telling him to have a good night. But the whole way home, all I can think about is that if I don’t tell him how I feel, I might never be able to really become a Power Ranger.

I don’t care about it for myself. It’s not like it comes with notoriety or anything. I care because, for some reason, out of everyone who could have found the Power Coins, I was one of them. I have a responsibility to everyone, and more importantly, a responsibility to Jason. He’s going to be so disappointed if we can’t morph. He’ll take it as a personal failure, and he’d be wrong, but that won’t change how he’ll feel about it.

I shower and change. As I brush and braid my hair, I sit by the window and look outside. I know I’m not going to be able to sleep, as much as I might want to. I’m just going to think about if I need to tell him and what he might say until I work up the courage to actually do it.

“I shouldn’t be afraid,” I mutter to myself. “I’m a Power Ranger. This is nothing.”

Except it’s everything.

But I grab my shoes, take a deep breath, then climb out my window and start to walk to Jason’s. I stick mostly to backyards so no one sees me. The last thing I need is for someone to tell my parents they’ve noticed me sneaking out at night.

A few minutes later, I’m jumping up and grabbing onto his windowsill so I can push the window open. I crawl inside, hoping I’m not about to scare him.

My foot catches on the window as I shove myself through and I fall on the floor. I huff and push up, standing and blowing some loose hair out of my eyes.

My mouth drops open and it feels like my heart stops as I look at Jason’s bed and realize that he’s already awake and sitting up because Kimberly is sitting next to him.

My cheeks flare bright red and I back up until my head hits the window. I turn, scrambling to crawl back out. I’m trying to apologize at the same time, but no words are coming out of my mouth.

Before I can manage to escape, Jason has stood and is grabbing my hand. “Hi,” he says.

He looks excited. His eyes are shining, and he’s smiling. But I’m sure that’s because of her, not me.

All I can do is stare back at him. I can’t confess now. Not in front of Kimberly, and certainly not when I’m sure that she’s here because she’s just about to tell him the exact same thing. I cannot compete with her, even as a Power Ranger.

“I should go,” I finally manage to force out. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“You’re not,” she chimes in, jumping up and coming over to me. Jason falls back, letting go of my hand as she pulls me into a hug.

“It’s not what you think,” she whispers. “You should tell him how you feel.”

She pulls away just enough so I can look at her. I blink in shock. “How do you know that?” I ask softly, hoping that he can’t hear us, though it seems unlikely. His room isn’t that big.

She laughs. “I can tell, even if he can’t,” she assures me.

“But don’t you…?” I gesture between the two of them and raise my eyebrows.

They belong together. It’s so obvious. The cheerleader and the football player. The shy nerdy girl who likes reading more than sports doesn’t end up with the jock, unless you live in a teen movie.

But Kimberly immediately shakes her head. “No interest at all,” she promises. “So go get him.”

Then she darts around me and leaps out the window, leaving me alone with Jason Scott.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin finally tells Jason how she feels about him.

**Jason**

Robin looks back at me as Kim leaves. She seems panicked, so I reach out and grab her hand again. “Hey. Whatever’s going on, it’s okay,” I assure her. I glance out the window and then back at her. “What, uh, what were you two… talking about?”

I think I know, but I was trying not to be rude and eavesdrop.

“Do you like Kimberly?” Robin blurts out suddenly, her cheeks getting even redder as she bites her lip after asking the question.

I frown. Why would she think that? Just because Kim was in my room a minute ago? “Kim? No. I don’t like Kim. I mean, not like I think you mean it, anyway.” Suddenly, I’m wondering if I understood her right. “She’s just my friend,” I clarify. “I’ve never thought of her any other way.”

Is that the answer she wants? I hope it is.

But it must not be, because her face falls and she sighs. “Like me,” she murmurs, pulling away to go sit on my bed.

I take a deep breath and move to sit beside her. “Hey,” I say again. “Just… tell me what’s happening, okay?”

I don’t want to get my hopes up, because it’s impossible, right? She would never want a guy like me. Before, I was just a jerk who wasn’t being honest with himself, and now I’m a screw-up. I’m hardly boyfriend material.

She sighs again, playing with her braid as she stares steadfastly away from me. “I don’t think I can morph without telling you the truth,” she admits. “But I’m afraid to. I’ve never been more afraid of anything in my whole life. Not even of climbing that mountain or jumping over that gorge.”

Impulsively, I reach out and pick her up, settling her into my lap. She looks up at me in surprise and I reach out to cup her cheek. “Robin, you can tell me anything,” I promise. “You don’t have to be afraid. Whatever it is, it’s all right.”

“It’s not, though,” she protests softly.

“Why not?” I ask.

I want her to be able to be honest with me. I’m more honest around her, and I like it.

She rests her head on my shoulder. I smooth several loose strands of hair over her ear and wait patiently for her to talk. Almost a minute passes before she starts.

“Has there ever been something you wanted so much that it felt like your life would end if you suddenly found out you couldn’t have it?” she wonders. “Something all of your hope was hung on?”

My heart starts beating faster and I squeeze her closer to me. “One thing,” I answer.

I should just interrupt her and tell her that it’s her. That she’s right here in my arms and I never want her to leave. But if that’s not what she’s about to say to me, I don’t know how I’ll take it, and I can’t stand any more disappointment right now.

“I know I’m not good enough for you, Jason,” she whispers. “You’re popular and athletic and handsome, and I’m just… me. About the only thing I have going for me is that I’m smart, and that’s not enough.”

“Says who?”

My voice is tight. I can’t believe that she’s the one who thinks that she’s not good enough for me. It’s definitely the other way around.

She shrugs. “Everyone.”

“It doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks,” I remind her. “Just me and you. It wouldn’t be anyone else’s business. And Robin, I like you just the way you are. Yes, you’re smart. But you’re also sweet and funny and kind and beautiful, and so many other things I haven’t figured out yet. If anything, I’m not good enough for you. I’m just a disgraced jock who’s been wrong about everything my whole life.”

She shakes her head. “No, Jason. That’s not who you are. That’s who other people have been trying to make you into. You are strong and sensitive and a wonderful leader. You never want anyone else to get hurt because of you. I know you haven’t totally figured yourself out yet, but that’s okay. Who you are already is wonderful, and I know you’re only going to get better.”

She takes a deep breath and looks up at me. “I have pined after you ever since I arrived in Angel Grove,” she reveals. “I was always too shy to talk to you, though. Because I thought…”

“Because you thought you weren’t good enough for me,” I repeat.

She nods. I lower my head, pressing my forehead against hers. Our noses touch, and her lips are so close to mine. I’ve kissed before, but I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone as much as I want to kiss her right now.

“You’re good enough, Robin,” I tell her. “You’re more than good enough. I feel the same way about you as you do about me. I want you to be my friend, and I want to be a Ranger with you, and I want to be so much more than that. I want to be everything for you.”

“I want all of that too, Jason.”

My fingers find her chin and tilt her head up more. I feel her hands grab my t-shirt, hanging on tight.

Then both of our phones ding at the same time and we startle apart, the moment broken. I’m frozen for a second, then she laughs. “Figures,” she mutters.

But she’s smiling. We pull our phones out and look at the message. “Trini needs us, huh?”

“Yeah. Come on.”

She stands and holds her hand out to me.

“But we’ll pick this up later, right?” I ask hopefully.

She giggles. “Definitely,” she promises as I take her hand. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Power Rangers finally face Rita, but the confrontation has devastating consequences.

**Robin**

In hindsight, it had seemed like a good idea. I had voted just as eagerly as everyone else to try and stop Rita. Maybe I was riding a little too high after Jason confessed that he likes me too. Maybe I thought that since I had told him almost everything, we could finally morph and it would be okay.

Now that I’m tied up to the side of a boat and Rita’s staring me in the face, though, I think we were probably a bit cocky.

“Purple,” she sneers. “One more of you won’t make a difference.” I gulp as her hand circles my throat and she squeezes. “Now tell me where my crystal is.”

I can hear Jason struggling at the end of the line. “Get your hands off of her!” he screams. “She doesn’t know where it is!”

Rita laughs. “Do you hold a candle for Purple, Red? Perfect.” She lets go of my throat and moves to him. “And you hold one back, Purple?” she questions me. “Perhaps if I threaten him, it will motivate you.”

I stare at Jason as her hand closes around his throat instead. He manages to shake his head at me and I nod.

“I won’t tell you anything,” I say, hoping I sound brave. “If I do, the world will end, and he’ll die anyway.” I swallow and add, “If you’re going to kill anyone, kill me. I’m the one who has what you want and won’t tell.”

“She’s not the only one,” Billy interrupts. “I know where it is. I’ll tell you.”

“Billy, don’t,” I whisper, struggling against the net she’s tied us up with, trying to get free.

But he does. I know his intentions are good, but now we’re really working against a clock, and we still haven’t morphed.

She leaves us there, still tied to the side of the boat, but not before she drops Billy into the water.

**Jason**

We carry Billy’s body back to the ship. Everyone finally seems to be committing the way I wanted them to before, but it’s too late. He’s gone.

Robin can’t stop crying. I wrap my arms around her and hold her tightly. I know she feels like it’s her fault because they both knew where the crystal was, but it wasn’t. She tried to keep the secret.

As everyone starts confessing, what we were missing suddenly becomes incredibly obvious. We missed that what brought us together wasn’t our experiences, but the way we felt about each other. We were just holding back because, according to the rules, none of us should be friends. None of us should be, but we are. We just had to realize that what everybody else thought didn’t matter.

“I love you, Jason,” Robin says suddenly, loud enough for everyone to hear. “It’s not just a crush. I love you.”

I hold her tighter and nod. I never even allowed myself to think about love. I thought she was so far out of my reach that I didn’t want to hurt myself by imagining that.

Suddenly, there’s a whooshing sound behind us and we all turn. The morphing grid is finally open.

I hold my breath, waiting for Zordon. He thinks all of us are a colossal failure, and he’s right. It’s my fault that we couldn't morph. My fault that Billy is dead. He deserves to come back.

Robin hugs me, her hands in my hair and against my cheek. “You didn’t fail,” she murmurs. “We just got there too late. You did everything you could.”

I don’t believe her, but I appreciate her trying to make me feel better.

Then Billy is coughing up water and everyone is hugging him. We couldn’t be more glad to see him alive again.

I hug him the longest and the hardest, then look at the grid. It’s finally time.

We all take our spots and energy flows through us. When I look down at my hands, I see that I’m wearing red armor. I look at Robin next to me and smile as I see her purple armor.

“This is pretty cool,” she laughs, looking around the circle. “We did it.”

We did. And now it’s time to go save the world. If we can.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rangers finally morph and try to stop Rita once and for all.

**Robin**

We run to the Zords, my eyes landing on the purple dinosaur I saw days ago when Alpha had tried to motivate us by showing them off. It’s a plesiosaurus, a water dinosaur, and Alpha told me it’s also a submarine.

As the Zord hooks into my back, I hope that it’s mostly going to drive itself. I hate driving.

“She’s headed for the city!” Jason yells. We can all hear each other through our helmets. “We have to head her off, try to stop her from reaching the Zeo Crystal!”

The dash flickers to life and I grab the controls. “I’ll meet you in the harbor,” I tell him as we run out of the mountain. I’m not as fast as the others, but once I get in the water, I leave them all behind quickly.

I experiment with the controls as I go, and by the time I get to the city, I think I’ve got it. I see the rest of the Rangers fighting in the streets and pull up on the controls, launching myself out of the water and hitting Goldar in the legs. He stumbles and I move to join everyone.

“Nice hit!” Kim shouts, and the others echo her sentiment.

I grin in spite of everything happening around us. “Thanks, guys.”

“I just saw my dad,” Jason says over the communicator. “He’s in trouble. Give me a minute, all right?”

He heads off in a different direction. I follow him with my eyes and see his dad’s truck flipped over in a parking lot by the water. It’s also surrounded by Putties. I don’t think Jason can handle them all on his own, so I start to move, jumping back into the water and coming around the other side of the lot to help.

I bring the top of the Zord up out of the water, then leap from the hatch. I land on top of one of the Putties, swinging myself around it so I can hit it in the chest. It explodes as I push away from it, ending up on my feet in a circle of others.

“Are you okay?” Jason shouts, leaning over his dad’s truck.

I nod. “Yeah, I’ve got them! Get him!”

Earlier, I felt a little clumsy fighting the Putties, but now I feel ready. I jump, kicking out with both legs and catching two of them in the chest. I land on the shoulders of the other, grabbing onto its head with my hands and managing to knee it in the chest before leaping clear as it explodes.

I look toward Jason again and see that several more are moving toward him as he tries to get his dad out of the truck. I run that way, vaulting on my hands and doing the flip Kim showed me, hitting another Putty right in the chest and sending it flying.

I see Jason’s dad step out of the truck. As he looks at us both with a dazed look on his face, we grab hands and use the leverage to kick the last two.

“We have to go help the others!” Jason says.

I nod. “On it! Meet you there!”

I run back to my Zord, piloting it through the harbor until I reach where everyone is facing Goldar.

Despite how well we’re doing, we can’t hold him at bay, especially since he can reconstitute. When he starts to push the other Zords into the giant hole that’s opened up in the street, I brace myself behind them, getting as low to the ground as I can and trying to hold them back.

“I’m not strong enough!” I yell through gritted teeth, pushing forward on the controls as hard as I can.

There’s nothing we can do, but none of us move. We can’t just stop trying. If she gets the Zeo Crystal, everything ends.

“No one dies alone,” Jason orders.

“Thank you for being my friends,” Billy adds.

I push harder, screaming as loud as I can in frustration.

“Robin?” Jason’s voice echoes in my ear and I fall silent, though I’ve still got the controls pushed forward.

“Yes, Jason?”

“I love you too.”

I smile, feeling warmth flood every part of my body at his words. I laugh into the communicator. “Now you tell me,” I murmur.

Then I’m pushed over the edge and start to fall. The others follow one by one, but as our Zords tangle together on the way down, something starts to happen.

Things shift and I find myself sitting in the cockpit next to Jason. The purple pieces of my Zord are locking into place as armor plates, and when Jason raises his arm, I can see that the rest has formed a shield for him to use.

It takes us a few tries to figure out the controls, but before long, we’ve defeated Goldar and sent Rita flying into space.

I smile at Jason as the people on the street start to cheer. “We saved the world,” I announce.

“Yeah,” he agrees. “We did.”


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the battle, Jason and Robin finally get a chance to share their feelings with each other.

**Jason**

We split up after the fight to check on our families, who are then obviously reluctant to let us out of their sight. I text Robin and let her know I’ll get away when I can.

But I don’t manage to separate from my parents until after they’ve gone to bed. I decide to grab a quick shower, then see if she’s still awake.

I’ve just pulled on sweatpants and dropped my towel on the floor when I hear my window open and turn to see her coming through it. She manages without falling this time, smiling at me shyly as she stands up.

“Hi,” she greets me, blushing and looking down at her feet.

I move over to her, lifting her into my arms and laying down in my bed with her. We’re side by side, our legs tangled together, our arms wrapped around each other. Her hair is loose, so I run my fingers through it while I gaze into her hazel eyes.

For the first time today, I feel happy and at peace. I can feel her heart beating against mine, and I’m so thankful that she’s alive and that she wants me.

“Hi,” I finally respond.

“Sorry for sneaking in unannounced,” she apologizes. “I just… really wanted to talk.”

“Sneak in whenever you want. I don’t mind at all,” I assure her.

She nods, dragging her fingers through the damp hair at the base of my neck. Then she sighs, and I know there’s something on her mind that she’s afraid to say.

“Tell me, Robin,” I urge her.

She laughs. “You can tell, can’t you?”

I nod. “Yeah. What’s up?”

“I... well…”

She bites her lip, and I’m suddenly reminded of our almost kiss yesterday. This is the first time I’ve had a chance to kiss her since then. But I wait since she’s talking. I don’t want to interrupt her.

“What you said earlier,” she finally gets out.

“When I said I love you too,” I confirm. She raises her eyebrows, seeming surprised that I’m able to pinpoint what she’s worried about. “I remember.”

“I just wanted you to know that it’s okay if you only said it because we were, you know, about to… die.”

I smile and shake my head. “That’s not why I said it, Robin.”

“It’s just that I put a lot of pressure on you to say it, saying it when I did, and I really don’t mind if you need to go slower,” she rushes on.

“I didn’t feel pressured or rushed,” I promise.

“My feelings are old and yours are new,” she persists. “I don’t expect you to hit certain milestones or anything. It’s not a checklist.”

“My feelings aren’t new, Robin,” I explain. “I’ve had them for a long time. I just didn’t know what they were. I wasn’t self-aware enough for that. Then I almost lost you, and, well, it was easy after that. I thought about what my life would be like without you and it made me realize exactly what I want.”

She opens her mouth again and I put my finger over her lips to stop her from talking. “I love you, Robin. Now stop talking so I can kiss you.”

“Oh,” she breathes. “Okay. I love you too, Jason.”

“Good.” I rub my thumb over her lips before leaning in. Our foreheads and noses touch again. “Is this your first kiss, Robin?” I wonder.

She nods slightly. “Yes, Jason.”

“I better make it good, then.”

I pull her closer, cradling her against my bare chest and lowering my lips to hers. She gasps as they finally touch. For a moment, we’re both perfectly still. Then I can’t resist moving my mouth and deepening the kiss.

She leans into it, kissing me back eagerly as her body presses against mine and both of her arms twine around my neck. I kiss her over and over, keeping it soft and sweet.

“Harder,” she whispers against my lips.

My toes curl and I pull her closer, running my hands over her body through her clothes as I open my mouth against hers. When she moans softly and opens hers too, I tangle our tongues together, my skin prickling as she drags her hands over it, her fingertips tracing the lines of my muscles.

We don’t do anything else but kiss. She doesn’t ask for more, and I don’t push for more. I know both of us will want more eventually, but for now, this is enough. We’re just happy to finally be with each other.

I lose track of how long we kiss. Eventually, though, she falls asleep, her head resting on my chest, tucked underneath my chin. I pull the blankets over us and set an alarm on my phone so we’ll wake up before my parents, then fall asleep too.

I wake up before the alarm goes off the next morning. The sun has just come up. I look down at her, smoothing the hair out of her face and smiling as I see how serene and happy she looks. I want to make her feel this way all the time.

I run my finger gently over her lips, noticing that they’re slightly swollen because of how long we kissed last night. I run my other hand over mine and feel that they’re swollen too.

Before I wake her up, I press my nose into her hair and take a deep breath. She smells good. I lift the sheets to my nose next, smiling when I realize that her smell has rubbed off on them.

She stirs against me and I smile at her as she opens her eyes. “Morning,” I whisper.

“Morning.” She blushes and hides her face against my chest. “My hair’s all messed up,” she murmurs.

I laugh. “Mine too. I think yours is cute.”

She peeks back up at me. “So is yours.” Then she looks at the light shimmering around the edges of my blinds. “What time is it?” she asks.

“Just before seven. I figured you have to get home. Not that I want you to go.”

She smiles. “I don’t want to either, but yeah. I should so my parents don’t notice I was gone and I can make everyone breakfast before detention starts.”

“I’ll walk you,” I offer immediately. “Can you come over and study after? I don’t want all the time we spend together to be sneaking around. We’ve got almost a whole school year left.”

She nods. “Me either. And of course. I’ll come over anytime you want.”

I follow her to the window, pressing her against it and kissing her one last time. “I love you, Robin.”

“I love you too, Jason.”

She kisses my nose and I grin as she climbs out the window and heads back home. As soon as she’s out of sight, I turn and go to get ready for the day. The sooner I’m out the door, the sooner I can see her.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and Robin get more comfortable in their new relationship. Robin meets Jason’s mother.

**Jason**

I have breakfast with my parents. Thankfully, they don’t want to spend the whole day together and keep me from detention. My dad has to go to the marina and check on his boat, and my mom wants to check on everyone in the neighborhood and see if they need anything before running errands.

I head out the door, my backpack slung over my shoulder, whistling as I walk to Robin’s. My face lights up as I see her waiting for me on her front porch. I skip up the steps and grab her around the waist, kissing her. She giggles and wraps her arms around me, kissing me back.

“Hi,” I tell her, keeping my arm around her as we go back to the sidewalk and start walking. “How was your morning?”

She shrugs. “Good, I guess. I got Austin ready and he was picked up for his soccer tournament. He’ll be gone all weekend. My mom and stepdad decided to take a trip for the rest of the weekend to escape the destruction of downtown, and they’re leaving on one of his many business trips on Monday. Since they’re going to be gone, Maddox is staying over with a friend.”

I frown. “Are they all gone that often?”

She nods. “Yeah. My stepdad goes on a lot of business trips, and my mom goes on every single one with him. Austin is in tons of activities because my mom wants him to be, but also because he doesn’t like staying at home. He’s kind of hyper and wants to do everything anyway. And Maddox just prefers to hang out with his friends, you know?”

“How old are they?” I ask. “We aren’t in school with any of them, are we?”

She shakes her head. “No, they’re both in middle school. Austin is in sixth grade. Maddox will be a freshman next year.”

“My sister is in fifth grade,” I tell her. “She’s visiting my aunt this weekend. Maybe she and your brother would want to meet sometime.”

She smiles and laughs. “We can try. Be warned, though, he’s currently in a big girls are gross phase. A girl in his grade has a crush on him and she will not leave him alone, so he is not a fan.”

I laugh too. “Well, we can try. You said before that you take care of your brothers a lot?”

“Yeah. It’s simpler now that they’re older. And luckily, they’re a lot more social than me. They have a lot of friends here. It’s been… easier for them here. When our parents got divorced, they were both too young to really understand it. Our life in Angel Grove is the only one they remember, so it’s never bothered them.”

“They don’t know about what happened with your mom, dad, and stepdad?” I wonder.

She shakes her head again. “No, and I wouldn’t tell them, either. Not now, anyway. They’re too young to know. It’s not a burden they should have to carry.”

I squeeze her closer and kiss her temple. “So you’re carrying it for them?” I whisper, frowning.

“I don’t really have a choice,” she admits heavily.

“I know. I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to carry it, either.”

“I wasn’t supposed to tell anybody,” she confesses. “Telling you guys was a big deal.”

“None of us will tell anybody,” I promise. “You know that.”

She leans her head against my shoulder. “I know. I just meant that it feels good knowing that other people know. That it’s not just me carrying around this big secret I never wanted.”

“You have me now, all right?” I assure her as we approach the school. “It never has to be just you again, Robin. I want to know everything. The good. The bad. All of it. Okay?”

“Okay.” She glances up at me. “As long as you do the same, all right? No secrets, even if you’re trying to make things easier for me.”

I grin. “You know me pretty well, don’t you?”

She blushes. “I’ve been paying attention for a long time, Jason.” She pokes me in the chest. “And you haven’t promised yet.”

I laugh. “You definitely know me well, Robin. And I promise. No secrets, even for good reasons.”

“Good.”

She pulls away a little as we reach the door and I stop. “You okay?” I wonder.

“Should we… pretend that we’re not together?” she asks quietly. “Do you want people to know?

“Of course I want people to know,” I tell her. “I don’t want to have to pretend.” I pause. “Do we need to? Because of your family?”

She shakes her head. “No. I’ll handle them. I’ve just… never dated anyone before. And you’re… popular.”

“Not so much anymore. You might become a pariah by proximity.”

“Well, I was alone and a pariah before, so it can’t possibly get worse, right?” she jokes.

I pull her back into my arms and give her a quick kiss. “You might be surprised,” I disagree. “I just don’t want you to have to deal with any of the hard feelings about me ruining the football season.”

She stands on her tiptoes and kisses me again. “It wouldn’t be the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with,” she assures me. “Especially if the trade is that I get you.”

“Aw, babe.”

I wink at her and she laughs, grabbing my arm. “Come on. We’re going to be late.”

I follow her inside, keeping her hand in mine as we go to sit down. Kimberly flashes us a thumbs up as we run in just in time and Robin blushes all over again. After we sit down, I lean over and steal one more kiss as the teacher is looking away and telling everyone to quiet down.

I’d love to just spend the entire time writing notes back and forth with her, but she’s dutifully taking out her homework, so I do too. When I do need help, which is fairly quickly, I slide my notebook over to her and stick out my lower lip like I’m begging.

She stifles a laugh and nods, helping me as much as she can without the teacher catching on to us.

The hours fly by, and soon we’re leaving. We catch up with Billy, Trini, Zack, and Kim at the door, arranging a meeting at the ship after school on Monday to talk about where we go as Power Rangers now that Rita’s gone. I know we can’t neglect our duties, but a few days of rest will do us all good, I think.

Robin shivers as we step outside. I set my backpack down and unbutton my plaid shirt. She watches me, biting her lip as I expose the gray tank top I’m wearing underneath. I smirk at her, folding the shirt over my arm as I go to help her take her backpack off.

“Here,” I murmur, hanging the shirt on her shoulders. She slips her arms into it and I lean around her to button it. She waits, her grin getting wider when I can’t button it all the way. “Damn,” I mutter.

“Boobs,” she says succinctly, blushing. “I usually can’t wear anything that buttons. But here. Yours is probably big enough to do this.”

She turns and lets me watch as she adjusts the plaid over her gray t-shirt, tying it under her breasts and buttoning two buttons, just enough to hold her cleavage together a bit. Now I find myself biting my lip as I stare at her.

When she’s finished, she reaches out and chucks me under the chin with her fingers. “Hey, Scott,” she teases. “My eyes are up here.”

I look at her face. “So are mine,” I challenge playfully. I flex slightly for her. “I saw you staring at my arms.”

She puts her arms around my neck and looks up at me. “Well, your arms are very nice,” she tells me.

“So are your, um…” I glance down at them, then back up, making us both laugh.

I lean down and kiss her, then get an idea. “Put your backpack back on,” I tell her. She does while I put mine on backwards so I’m carrying it against my chest. She looks at me curiously until I turn my back to her. “Get on.”

I stare at her while she hesitates, waiting for her to realize that it’s fine. That I want to and that she’s not too heavy.

“Okay,” she finally gives in.

I bend down so she can put her arms around my shoulders, reaching back and lifting her legs as I straighten up. She laughs and kisses my cheek as I walk us back to my house.

“Mom? Dad?” I call out as I step inside, letting her down off of my back. I don’t hear a response, so I drop my backpack on the floor, turning and helping her get hers off too. “We are finally alone,” I tell her. “I have been waiting to do this all day.”

She squeaks as I lift her, setting her on the kitchen table and standing between her legs before leaning forward and starting to kiss her. She gasps as I cup her cheeks in my hands and slip my tongue into her mouth.

Then her hands come up to squeeze my biceps and her legs wrap around my waist to pull me closer. I can feel her breasts pressed against my chest, and I drag my hand down to squeeze one gently.

She squeaks again and I move my hand. “Sorry,” I apologize against her lips.

Then her hand finds mine and guides it back. “Don’t be,” she breathes. “I like it.”

“Okay,” I rasp back, squeezing again, bringing my other hand down to squeeze the other too.

Then I hear a car pull up and a door shut outside. “Jason, are you home? I’ve got groceries!”

Robin quickly pulls away and I laugh. “That’s my mom,” I sigh, stepping back and running a hand through my hair.

She puts herself back together quickly as she nods. “I remember. Should I, um, go?”

I shake my head. “No, don’t go. Please?” I lace my fingers through hers and pout again. “Please?”

She giggles. “I won’t, I won’t. I promise. But let’s go help your mom. She’s been out all day, right?”

“Yeah. But I’ll get it all. It’s cool.”

She falls into step beside me as I head outside, though. “I can lift just as much as you, remember?” she reminds me, winking.

My mom sticks her head out from behind the SUV. “Oh, hi, Robin. Are you and Jason studying again?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Robin answers softly.

But my mom is eyeing her bright red cheeks and her wearing my shirt and I’m pretty sure she’s come to a different conclusion.

“I got an A on my last paper, thanks to Robin,” I tell my mom, grabbing some bags. “Is it all right if she stays for a while? Please?”

“Of course, sweetie,” my mom answers, raising an eyebrow at me to let me know that we’re not finished talking about this.

I just kiss her cheek and smile at her for now. “Thanks.”

“I’ll have to come up with something for dinner. I was buying so much that I didn’t even think about it.”

“I could do that,” Robin chimed in. “Um, ma’am. If you don’t mind.”

Robin grabs some bags too and gives my mom a nervous smile. My mom smiles back. “Beverly, please, Robin. And that would be lovely. Thank you.”

We finish unloading the car while my mom starts putting stuff away. “Use anything you like, Robin,” my mom tells her as she sets down the last bags.

Robin turns to me. “What do you want, Jason?” she asks.

“Anything is fine with me, babe,” I answer, smiling as my mom raises her eyebrow at me again. “Can I help?”

“You can cook?” she teases.

“I can make toast. And Pop-Tarts. And sandwiches.”

Robin rolls her eyes at me. “None of those count as cooking.”

“I like her already.” My mom nudges me. “So how long have you two been seeing each other?”

Robin shoves her face in a cabinet to hide her embarrassment. “Since yesterday, Mom, so it’s kind of new. We’ve both liked each other for a while, though.” I chuckle as Robin just stays in the cabinet. “Babe, you can come out of there.”

I walk over to her and wrap my arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. “It’s okay,” I whisper, drawing her out and shutting the cabinet. I kiss her cheek. “My mom likes you. I can tell.”

My mom laughs. “I do, Robin. It’s perfectly fine. I just had no idea Jason had a serious girlfriend. That’s not something that’s happened before.”

“I’ve gone on a few dates with a few girls,” I quickly explain. I’m sure Robin has paid enough attention to know that I’m not a player, but just in case. “There’s never been anyone special before.”

“I know that, Jason,” she murmurs, reaching back and touching my hair comfortingly.

She seems calmer now, so I let her go. She smiles at me and finishes looking through the kitchen. “I’ll make pizza,” she announces, starting to put things on the counter.

I frown. “But we don’t have any crust,” I point out.

She laughs at me. “I’ll make it from scratch, silly. And stick around. I’ll need your muscles to knead the dough.” She leans around me and glances at my mom. “How much should I make, Beverly?”

“Well, Pearl’s away for the weekend, but Jason and his father can each kill a pizza on their own, so I’d do at least three if it were me.”

“How about four?” Robin laughs, knowing that she can probably eat just as much now. “And why am I not surprised?”

She starts making the dough. I lean against the counter and watch her measure ingredients into multiple bowls. “Why don’t you just make it all in one?” I ask.

“Doesn’t mix as well if you’re making a huge batch,” she explains. “Plus, we’re making four separate pizzas, so we get more even measurements this way.”

“Cool.” I nod, waiting for whatever she needs me for.

“Okay,” she says, turning one ball of dough out onto the counter. “You have to knead each one for fifteen minutes, then let it rise. I’ll show you how and then you can put those big arms to use.”

She winks at me and I nod, paying close attention as she explains what she’s doing. Once I think I’ve got it, I start on one of the other portions of dough. For the next half an hour or so, we work quietly, until we have four perfect balls of dough resting in bowls. I help Robin clean off the counter and wash my hands.

“What’s next?”

“We make sauce while we figure out what we want on the pizzas. What are your favorite toppings?”

“Are there others besides pepperoni and cheese?” I ask carefully, grinning as she laughs at me.

She puts me in charge of the sauce, walking me through all of the steps to make it from scratch. I stay at the stove, stirring it, still watching her out of the corner of my eye as she grabs all of the toppings.

My mom walks back through the kitchen a little while later. “It smells fantastic in here, Robin. What kind of pizza are you making?”

“One margherita, one Mediterranean, one spicy Hawaiian, and one barbecue chicken,” she announced.

“Oh, I love Hawaiian pizza,” my mom tells her.

Robin blushes. “Good,” she murmurs. “I figure this way there’s something for everybody.”

“I think it’s a great plan. Do you kids need any help?”

I shake my head at the same time Robin shakes hers. “Go relax, mom,” I urge her. “We’ve got this.”

“Robin’s got this,” she corrects me, kissing my forehead. “I’d never leave you alone in the kitchen unless I wanted it to blow up.”

I roll my eyes at her, but I’m grinning. I love my mom. She’s not nearly as hard on me as my dad is when it comes to stuff like my future. She doesn’t let me get away with whatever I want, but she wants me to be happy.

“You have a good relationship with your mom,” Robin observes quietly.

She looks sad as she says it. I slide down the counter and squeeze her shoulders, kissing her cheek. “I do,” I admit. “She wants me to be a good person, just like my dad, but for her, it’s not tied to what I do. She just wants me to be happy, you know?” I pause. “If you let me tell her about your parents, she’ll basically adopt you. I promise.”

She laughs quietly. “She can’t do that. Dating my brother would be weird.” I laugh along with her as she winks at me. “You can tell her,” she adds. “I don’t want you to keep secrets from your parents for me.”

“You’re the sweetest person I’ve ever met, Robin,” I tell her. I glance at the stove. “Will the sauce be okay if I leave it for a minute to go talk to her?”

She nods. “Yeah, I’ll watch it. Thank you for all of your help.”

I lean in and kiss her, holding her close for a second. “I’ll be right back to finish helping. Promise.”

“Okay, Jason. Thank you.”

I smooth a loose strand of hair over her ear and smile. “I love you, Robin.”

I’m never going to get tired of saying that. I can already tell.

“I love you too, Jason.”

I let go of her reluctantly to talk to my mom.

As brand new as all of this is, it doesn’t feel that way. It feels like we’ve been together forever. I’m still sure that there’s someone out there for her who’s far better than me, but that just makes me want to try harder to be the man that she deserves.

I love Robin, and from now on, I’m going to spend every single day doing whatever I can to keep her by my side.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and Robin discuss the future.

**Jason**

I talk to my mom about Robin’s family situation. She promises to ease into it, and to tell my dad when it’s a good time. I know that he’s going to have several problems with the whole girlfriend thing, but hopefully he comes around.

The pizza helps, as I suspected it would. Everything Robin made is absolutely delicious. We polish off all four pizzas and a huge bowl of salad between all of us. She even helps clean up, despite me telling her that she doesn’t have to.

By the time my parents ask her to leave, it’s too late for me to walk her home. They think that my ankle monitor still works, and I can’t have them realizing otherwise.

“Sorry I can’t walk you,” I apologize as she gets ready to go.

“I’ll be all right,” she promises, smiling up at me.

“I know that.” She’s a Power Ranger, after all. No one’s going to get the drop on her. “I just wanted to, that’s all.”

“I know.” She’s about to swing her backpack on, but then she sets it down again. “Your shirt,” she points out, reaching up to undo it and give it back to me.

But I grab her hands to stop her. “Keep it. It looks better on you.”

She blushes. “All right.”

I pull her in for a hug and whisper in her ear. “You’ll come back tonight?”

I wish I could go to her, especially since her family is gone and we could have some more privacy. But we both agreed earlier that we should take as few chances as possible with my monitor. If my parents happen to check in on me and find me gone, I will be in a lot of trouble.

Billy programmed the monitor to show where I am normally, but at night, it always shows that I’m home. He also rigged it so that when I’m doing anything related to the Power Rangers, it shows that I’m somewhere where all of us aren’t. I have no idea how it works, but it does. Of course, none of that will prevent my parents from searching the house and realizing I’m not where it says I am.

“I will,” she promises.

“We should… talk about some stuff?” I suggest.

I’ve got about a million thoughts running through my head, but I don’t know where she’s at just yet.

“Sure.” She nods, then steps away and slips her backpack on. “Um, everything’s okay, right?”

“Always,” I assure her. “I just have questions. I’ve never done the serious relationship thing before.”

“Good,” she sighs. “Me neither.” She opens the door. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow for more studying?”

I nod. “I’ll take all the help I can get,” I answer truthfully.

“Okay. I’ll text you.”

I grab her around the waist. “I’m not letting you leave without a kiss,” I murmur.

She’s been nervous all night about doing anything in front of my parents, especially because my dad is not hiding his disapproval very well. I know it’s not that he doesn’t like her. It’s just his anger with me lately that’s affecting his judgment.

“Okay,” she whispers shyly.

I lean in and kiss her, making sure to keep it PG for my parents, and so I don’t make Robin worry. “Be safe. I’ll see you later. I love you.”

Her eyes flick to my parents in the living room worriedly, but she still says it back. “I love you too.”

Then she disappears out the door. I sigh, already feeling alone, even though I’ve been with her all day.

I tell my parents I’m going to shower and head off to get ready for bed. I make sure to finish quickly so they can do the same, then decide to clean my room a little before Robin comes back. It’s kind of a mess, and I know she’s already seen it that way, but I want to make a better impression.

As I clean, I can hear my parents talking while they set up the coffeemaker for tomorrow. I listen, my shoulders tense as my dad says, “I just don’t know if we should be allowing him to have a girlfriend right now, Bev. He’s supposed to be in trouble.”

My mom sighs. “Sam, he’s still in trouble,” she points out. “He has the same curfew, you’re making him fix his truck. He has to do all of his chores and keep his grades up. And I don’t think that we should deprive him of everything, or he’s going to resent us. Especially this. He’s never brought a girl home before. He really likes Robin, it’s obvious, and honestly, I think she’s good for him. She’s smart, and she’s so sweet. You saw how nervous she was tonight.”

“He’s still just in high school,” my dad replies. “It’s not like she’s the love of his life or anything.”

I frown. Robin is the love of my life. He may not think so, but I already know.

“Sam, we met in high school,” my mom reminds him. “She may not be the love of his life. She may be. We don’t know yet, and they probably don’t either. What I do know is that if we try to keep them apart, they’re just going to want each other more. We may as well monitor what we can. The last thing he needs is to be pushed into misbehaving again.”

“Pushed?” My dad’s voice is getting louder. “Not this again, Bev. I didn’t push him into anything. What he did was not my fault.”

“Not directly, Sam. But if you hadn’t been so deep into the football thing…”

“The football thing was going to get him out of here, Bev! It’s already going to be harder for him to get out of here now. I don’t want him to be stuck here because of some girl!”

“Like you were with me?” Even I flinch at my mom’s tone. I can picture her holding her hand up to stop my father from talking as she continues. I’ve seen her do it plenty of times before. “Don’t even try to take it back, Sam. I get it. You missed your chance and you’ve always regretted it. I know that doesn’t mean you regret me or the kids, but I’m tired of hearing it. Jason could have played football. He can’t now. He might stay in Angel Grove. He might leave. As long as he is happy, I really do not care. And right now, what is making him happy is Robin, and I don’t think there’s any reason to object to that. She’s not a troublemaker, and we didn’t catch them having sex in the living room. So let’s just call it a win for now and go from here, all right?”

They abruptly stop talking, and I know they’re going to go to bed angry. I feel bad about it. It’s nice that my mom stands up for me, but I don’t want her to suffer because of it. She loves my dad, and he loves her, but he’s always had a chip on his shoulder about not getting a chance at his dream of playing football.

I feed my fish and open my window so it’s ready for when Robin comes back. I stand by it for a moment, taking a deep breath of the fresh air outside, then flop back onto my bed to try and sort out my thoughts.

I’m almost dozing when I hear her crawl inside. I open my eyes and sit up, sliding off of the bed and taking her into my arms. She hugs me back tightly, rubbing her nose against my cheek. “Jason?” she murmurs. “Are you all right?”

“I missed you,” I tell her. “And my parents had a fight. About me. About us.”

Her brow furrows as I lean back and look at her. “About us?” Her face falls. “They don’t like me, do they?”

I shake my head. “That’s not it at all, babe.” I pick her up and sit back down on the bed with her, letting her rest against me. “My mom loves you already. She thinks you’re smart and sweet and good for me. And it’s not that my dad doesn’t like you. It’s that he thinks…” I sigh. “He thinks that I’m never getting out of Angel Grove because I had to give up football, and that if I get attached to someone from here, my last incentive to leave is gone.”

Robin nods against my shoulder. “Maybe we should talk about the future,” she says softly. “Is that what you meant earlier when you said you had questions?"

I nod. “I’d like that,” I tell her. “You said the other night that you wanted to go to college, and that you didn’t care where as long as it got you away from your family.”

“Yeah.” She traces the pattern on my t-shirt with her finger and gazes up at me. “But isn’t everything different now?”

“Different how?”

“Well, most importantly, whatever I do in the future, I want it to include you. For as long as you want me.”

“I want you forever,” I assure her.

She smiles up at me. “Me too.” She reaches out and touches my cheek. “We’re Power Rangers now,” she continues. “Are we even allowed to leave and still do that? Rita said that more people would be coming after the Zeo Crystal, and we have to protect it. But there are a lot of questions I have. Can we ever go anywhere, even for a little while? Will our powers work no matter where we are? Will any of these people attack other places to draw us away from the Zeo Crystal? What about those places? Do we have to protect them too? Will we age? Will we live forever if we’re not killed? Can we have kids? Do we have to find suitable replacements for ourselves eventually?”

“Hey, hey, hey,” I soothe her, rocking her back and forth a bit. “All good questions that we can ask Zordon on Monday.”

She nods. “Sorry,” she apologizes.

“It’s okay. I’ve been wondering all of those things too.”

“What about you?” she asks. “And the future, I mean?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about what I want to do since you asked me in the diner,” I admit. “And I think I might want to be a mechanic. I’ve always been into cars, and my dad thinks I should fix my truck that I totaled, so I thought if I do that and like it, maybe I can figure out what to do next.”

“I think that’s a great idea, Jason.”

“Yeah? I was thinking maybe I could have my own garage one day or something like that. Maybe work on boats too, since the marina’s right here.”

Now she’s grinning up at me and I laugh. “What? Too much?”

“No, not at all. I’m just picturing you coming home in a tank top and ripped jeans, a little dirty and sweaty after a long day at work, leaning against the counter and smiling at me…”

“Oh my God,” I tease her. “You’re taking my dreams for my future and turning them into a dirty little fantasy, aren’t you?”

She blushes and hides her face in my chest for a moment. “Maybe,” she murmurs.

I squeeze her tighter and fall onto my back, kissing her hairline. “And where is home in this scenario?” I wonder.

She keeps her face buried in my chest as she answers. “A cute little three bedroom cottage near the water with a deck and a fireplace, room for a garden, and a really nice kitchen.”

“Why three bedrooms?” I ask quietly.

“Two kids,” she whispers. “A boy and a girl.”

I smile. “That sounds perfect,” I tell her.

She peeks up at me. “It does?”

I nod. “It does.” I smooth her hair back from her face. “Maybe this is a good time to talk about… physical stuff?”

“You mean what happened earlier on the table?”

“Yeah. That.”

I shift, turning onto my side so I can look into her eyes. “I just, um, I… got a little handsy, and I just don’t want you to think I’m trying to rush you into anything.”

“I know you weren’t, Jason,” she assures me gently. “And I told you I liked it.”

I nod. “I know. I just… I want you to know that I’ve never done anything except kiss before,” I confess. “I never went any further because even the kissing didn’t feel quite right. It never felt right until I kissed you. And I need you to know that I want… everything with you. But I don’t ever want to rush you into something you’re not ready for.”

She’s beaming at me, and I smile as she wiggles closer, her hands fisted into my t-shirt. “You’re the sweetest boy in the world, Jason Scott,” she whispers, leaning up to kiss me.

I kiss her back and blush. “I’m just... nervous, Robin,” I tell her. “That I’m going to do something wrong.”

“You won’t, Jason.”

She sounds so sure. I wish I could be that confident. “But how will I know until it’s too late?” I ask her seriously.

“How about this?” she suggests. “Do what you want, and if I’m not ready, I’ll ask you to stop, as long as you do the same.”

I nod, leaning forward and rubbing my nose against hers tenderly. “I can do that,” I agree.

“Good.”

She leans up and kisses me again. This time, I relax and kiss her back eagerly. I’m ready to be done talking for the night.

As we kiss, her hands push my shirt up. I turn onto my back and raise my arms so she can take it off. I start breathing heavily as she gets on top of me and starts kissing my bare skin. I fumble with her clothes as I roll her onto her side again, tugging at them until she’s only wearing her underwear and bra.

I lower my head and start to kiss my way over the swell of her cleavage. I glance up at her as she tangles her fingers in my hair. “Your skin is so soft,” I whisper.

“So is yours,” she answers shyly.

We spend the night in each other’s arms. We kiss and touch, but we don’t take off any more clothes. We’re both content to explore and take it slow.

In the morning, I wake up late, so she’s already gone. I grab my phone off the nightstand and read the text she sent me.

_You looked so peaceful I couldn’t bear to wake you. Text me when you’re up and I’ll come running. Love you._

I smile. I may not know everything that’s going to happen in the future, but at least I know Robin’s always going to be there for me.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zordon answers some questions the Rangers have about the future.

**Robin**

I spend Sunday at Jason’s. We study, I make lunch, we study some more, then I go home to make dinner for my family and make sure that someone’s there to greet my brothers. Once my family’s in bed, I crawl through Jason’s window again and spend the night with him.

He picks me up for school on Monday. It’s an unusually cold day, and I notice that he has his letter jacket slung over his shoulder when I open the door.

“Why aren’t you wearing that?” I ask.

He’s already moving to take my backpack off as he answers. “Because it’s for you,” he tells me, helping me put it on and then brushing the loose strands of hair already falling from my bun out of the way. “I know it’s not worth much anymore, considering my tattered reputation, but I still want you to have it.”

“I love it,” I assure him, turning in his arms and giving him a kiss. “I have something for you too.”

I reach into the sleeve of his jacket and pull the red velvet scrunchie off of my wrist, then slip it over his. He grins at me. “I love it,” he echoes, kissing me again. “Let’s go.”

When we arrive at school, there are definitely whispers as we walk through the hall holding hands. But Jason just ignores everybody, so that’s what I do too. He kisses my cheek and murmurs, “We’ll get really good at it. I promise.”

I nod and head to class, still wearing his jacket.

At lunch, Jason finds me at my locker, then we head to the cafeteria to meet up with the other Rangers. Jason puts a bunch of food on one tray for us. When we sit and the first thing he hands me is an oatmeal cookie sandwich with cream in the middle, I raise an eyebrow.

“How did you know this is one of my favorites?” I ask.

“I told you I’ve been paying attention longer than you thought,” he replies, kissing my forehead. “Now eat,” he murmurs.

I look around guiltily. Sure, one of the great things about being a Power Ranger is that I can apparently eat as much as I want now and not gain weight, but I’m still big. And no one else knows that I’m a Ranger. They’re just going to see a girl they consider fat stuffing her face.

“Hey.” Jason tips my chin up and makes me look directly at him. “You need to eat, Robin. Don’t worry about what they think. You are beautiful just the way you are.” He squeezes my shoulders and kisses my temple, then presses his lips to my ear. “I love your curves,” he whispers.

I blush and giggle, then nod. “Okay.”

I open my cookie and start to eat. When Billy asks me for a pen and I open my backpack, Kimberly sees my Sharpie collection and immediately grabs it, then starts to draw on Trini’s arm. Everyone else quickly joins in.

Jason slips his plaid shirt off and slides his bare arm over to me. “Wanna draw on me?” he asks.

“You’d be okay with that?” I wonder.

He leans down and touches his forehead to mine. “I will do literally anything to make you happy,” he confesses.

I laugh, picking up the red Sharpie and drawing a heart on his arm. As I carefully write our initials inside, I glance up at him. “You’re the best, Jason Scott.”

“I’m going to try to be,” he responds, giving me a quick kiss.

“You guys are seriously so gross right now,” Trini chimes in.

I blush and everyone laughs, but it’s all good-natured. It feels nice.

After school, we head back to the spaceship to talk with Zordon. We all have questions about the future, but we’ve already decided as a group that we want to continue being Power Rangers.

We sit in front of Zordon’s wall. I lean back against Jason as Zordon agrees to listen to our concerns.

“Rita said that others would come after the Zeo Crystal. Is she right?” Kimberly starts.

“It is highly likely,” Zordon answers. “I can’t tell you exactly who or when.”

“Will they be harder to fight than Rita?” Trini wonders. “Or easier?”

“Rita was formidable because she had a Power Coin,” Zordon explains. “But that doesn’t mean new enemies won’t have power from other significant sources. You should be as prepared as possible for even harder fights.”

“Do our powers work no matter where we are?” I chime in. “Like, are we allowed to leave Angel Grove ever, even for a little while?”

“Your Ranger powers will work no matter where you are, but the Zords are here in Angel Grove, as are your teammates. Trips outside the city should be limited, and if you plan to leave permanently, you may want to retire your Power Coin voluntarily.”

“But if people are coming for the Zeo Crystal, won’t they attack other locations to lure us away from it?” Billy reasons. “Do we have to protect those places too? Or do we only protect the crystal?”

Zordon smiles. “One fight at a time, Billy. Though thinking of strategies will only be helpful for the future.”

Zack pulls his Power Coin of his pocket and studies it. “Back up,” he requests. “We can do that? Surrender these things?”

“You can retire your Power Coin at any time and it will remain dormant until it chooses another user. The only other thing that can remove your powers is death.”

“Well, that’s comforting,” Jason mutters.

“Do we have to choose our replacements eventually, Zordon?” I add. “Or is this a weird we don’t age kind of thing?”

Zordon actually chuckles. “You’ll age, Robin. And the Power Coins choose their own replacements. You will not be responsible for that.”

“Can we have kids?” I blurt out, blushing immediately after.

I know that Jason and I talked about it last night, but bringing it up in front of everyone else makes it seem different. Then he squeezes me, pulling me back more firmly against his chest. “Good question,” he murmurs.

“You can,” Alpha replies. We all turn to glance at him as he walks up to join us. “However, the grid will not allow you to morph if you’re pregnant. Too many biological concerns.”

“So a Ranger would just be normal if they were pregnant?” Jason asks.

“They would retain their powers unless they temporarily transferred their Power Coin to someone else who was worthy,” Alpha continues. “Usually that’s not the case, though, since they don’t seek out replacements unless their Ranger voluntarily resigns or dies. Though there have been cases when a relative of a Ranger was also worthy and they took their place for a short time.”

“Are they ready, Alpha?” Zordon inquires.

Alpha nods. “Yes, Zordon.”

“I have new weapons for the rest of you, like Jason’s sword,” Zordon announces. “To help you face the battles to come.”

“I have something for everyone too,” Billy hurriedly adds, standing up. “I had them earlier, but I had to calibrate them to the grid before they would work.”

We all stand. Jason keeps me close as he pulls me to my feet. Billy hands each one of us a silvery bracelet that looks kind of like a watch.

“They’re communicators,” he explains. “They’re powered by the morphing grid, so they’ll work anywhere, even if you can’t get cell service or anything like that. They’ll let us talk to each other, and to Zordon and Alpha.”

“Can they text?” Kimberly asks, making all of us laugh.

“They can,” Billy confirms, showing us how they flip up to reveal a small computer interface. “And they have several pre-programmed messages, like SOS and stuff like that. Plus they can track each other. So all you have to do is send an SOS and the rest of us have your GPS coordinates.”

“These are awesome, Billy,” Jason compliments him. “Thanks.”

Alpha nods. “Very impressive, Billy. I look forward to using them.”

Billy beams at everyone, then Zack turns back to Zordon. “You said something about weapons.”

“Yes. Jason has a sword that he can pull from the morphing grid to use in battle. I thought the rest of you should have something too. Everyone stand on the grid.”

We take our places as the grid starts to glow. “Now reach in and pull your weapons out,” Zordon instructs.

Jason shows us, pulling out his sword. I watch as everyone else pulls their weapons out first.

Zack gets an axe. Billy gets a lance with a sharp tip on both sides that comes apart into two pieces. Kimberly gets a bow. Trini gets a pair of daggers. Finally, I reach in and pull out a staff. Experimentally, I spin it in my hand. It’s perfectly balanced.

“Thanks, Zordon,” Zack crows, jumping back with the axe and slashing it one way, then the other.

“You can train with them later,” Zordon tells us. “For now, we must discuss the most pressing concern we have at the moment.”

Jason immediately becomes serious, sliding his sword back into the grid. “What’s that, Zordon?”

“The green Power Coin,” he answers. “Rita lost it during the battle.”

“Normally, we would be able to trace its signature and bring it back to the ship, or it would find a worthy person to attach itself to,” Alpha explains. “But we cannot find it. We fear that it has been corrupted because it was with Rita for so long. If it finds another person now, the results could be disastrous.”

“I might be able to come up with a way to find it,” Billy volunteers. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“And the rest of us could look for it, Zordon,” Jason offers.

“It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, I fear,” Alpha reveals. “Perhaps we should see if Billy’s method works first.”

“I agree with Alpha,” Zordon decides. “Keep your eyes open for it, or any strange happenings that might relate to it. If our alternative methods of finding it fail, then we will come up with another plan.”

The rest of us return our weapons to the grid and then we start heading home. Eventually, Jason and I are walking alone. I lean against him, sighing happily. His skin is warm and he smells good, and since he’s left his plaid shirt tied around his waist, I can see the heart I drew on his arm at lunch.

“What’s your week look like?” he wonders softly, squeezing my shoulders.

“Well, my parents are gone for the week now. Austin and Maddox were supposed to be home, but when their friends found out they were alone all week, they asked them to stay over. I confirmed it with their parents and mine. So mostly it’s just me at home.”

“Studying and dinner at my house, then you in my bedroom at night all week?” Jason suggests hopefully.

“Sounds perfect,” I agree, leaning up to kiss him.

He kisses me back, then asks, “Is it always like this? You said that you got detention for some peace and quiet.”

I shrug. “Sometimes the house is empty like it will be this week. Sometimes they’re all there demanding my attention. I have to get ahead when I can, because I never know exactly what’s going to be happening.”

“I’m sorry,” he tells me, kissing my temple. “I wish we could get away more.”

“When does your monitor come off?” I ask.

“End of the year, if I behave.”

I lean up and kiss his nose. “Can you be good for me?” I tease.

He laughs. “Yes, I can.” He pauses, then wonders, “Why don’t you just leave home? You’re eighteen already.”

“I could move out, but how would I? I’ve never been able to get a job because I’m so busy at home and at school. I don’t have any money.”

He nods. “Yeah. I guess it’s easier said than done, huh?”

Suddenly, he stops and turns me to face him. “One day, I’ll be able to take care of you, Robin,” he promises. “Then you won’t have to worry about this anymore. All right?”

I smile up at him. “That’s sweet of you, Jason. Thank you. But I’d much rather we take care of each other, okay? The burden doesn’t all have to be on you.”

He smiles back. “Okay,” he agrees. As we continue walking, he adds, “You said you wanted to go to college, but you never said for what.”

“I want to start my own home catering and meal delivery business, so I thought I’d major in nutrition and minor in business.”

“I think that’s a great idea. You definitely don’t need a degree to learn how to cook,” he observes. “You already do that really well.”

“Thank you.”

Jason stops and grins as he shifts his backpack to his front. “Hop on,” he tells me.

I giggle and jump up onto his back, kissing his cheek as I squeeze his shoulders. “Carry me home, Red Ranger.”

He starts to walk again. I can feel him smiling against my cheek. I can’t ever remember being this happy.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little complicated with Jason’s family, so he takes a stand for Robin.

**Jason**

I open the front door with Robin still on my back. I take a deep breath and groan happily. “My mom is making lasagna,” I explain. “It’s the best.”

“I’ll help, if she’ll let me,” Robin says, slipping off of me.

I set my backpack down and smile as my little sister rounds the corner of the hallway. “Hi, Jason!” she greets me excitedly.

I hold out my arms for her and she runs into them, letting me pick her up and spin her around. “Hey, Pearl.” I kiss her cheek. “How was your weekend with Aunt Katie?” I ask as I set her down and kneel in front of her.

“It was good, but I don’t want to talk about that. I want to talk about your girlfriend! Mom said she came over this weekend and I missed it!”

I laugh and Robin blushes, but she smiles at Pearl. “She doesn’t let anyone get away with anything,” I explain, winking at my sister. I reach out for Robin’s hand and she kneels beside me. “Pearl, this is Robin, my girlfriend.”

“Hi, Pearl. It’s nice to meet you,” Robin tells her.

Pearl crosses her arms and eyes Robin critically. “How did you meet my brother?” she asks.

I bite my lip, trying not to laugh as Robin answers. “We go to school together. I’ve been helping your brother study, and we decided to date too.”

“Are you nice?” Pearl continues.

Robin’s blush deepens. “I try my best to be,” she admits.

“She is the nicest, Pearl. I promise,” I assure her.

Pearl nods, then points at the heart on my arm. “Did she draw that on you?”

“She did.”

“It’s pretty. Can she draw something on me?”

“If Mom says yes, sure. Come on, let’s go ask her.”

I pick Pearl up and put an arm around Robin, steering everyone into the kitchen. “Hey, Mom. Is it cool if Robin stays for dinner?”

“Sure, sweetie,” she agrees over her shoulder, busy getting everything ready.

Robin immediately moves to the counter. “Can I help, Beverly?” she asks shyly.

“Of course, Robin, that would be wonderful.”

“Mommy, can Robin draw something on me like she drew on Jason?”

My mom finally turns to look. I hold out my arm so she can see. “Sure,” my mom answers. “But not in permanent marker. Only in your markers, okay?”

“Okay!” Pearl looks at me. “Will you help me with my homework, Jason?”

“Sure I will. Let’s sit in here so we can help Mom and Robin if we need to, all right?”

“All right!”

I set her down and she runs off to get her backpack. I go give my mom a kiss on the cheek, then wrap my arms around Robin from behind and give her one too. “Love you,” I whisper.

She’s almost as red as a tomato by now, but she still whispers back, “I love you too.”

As I slip back to the table, my mom distracts Robin. “I’ll teach you Jason’s favorite recipe. My secret lasagna.”

Robin nods. “I’d like that, Beverly.”

Pearl returns and sits in my lap at the table. I wrap one arm around her to keep her in place. “Okay, what do you have to do, Pearl?”

She starts setting her homework out meticulously, ignoring my question. “Do you love Robin, Jason?”

Robin squeaks at the counter and I laugh, squeezing Pearl and kissing her forehead. “Yeah, Pearl, I do.”

“Are you going to marry her?”

Robin peeks at me over her shoulder. I wink at her, then explain, “You can’t get married while you’re in high school, Pearl.”

“Oh, okay,” she says, easily accepting my answer.

Robin shakes her head at me, then turns back to help my mom. I start helping Pearl with her homework as they get dinner ready. Robin comes and joins us once everything is in the oven, using Pearl’s markers to draw a flower on her wrist.

She gets back up to help my mom make a salad. I enlist Pearl to set the table with me, making sure we put all her homework away first. My dad arrives home, pausing and eyeing Robin as he passes through the kitchen, but not saying anything.

We all sit down for dinner. My dad cheers up a bit when he sees lasagna. Then Pearl decidedly announces, “I like you, Robin. It’s okay that Jason loves you.”

My dad pauses, his fork halfway to his mouth. Then he gives my mother a pointed look. Robin looks like she wants to fall through the floor and disappear forever.

I reach over and squeeze Robin’s thigh under the table, then smile at Pearl. “Thanks for the approval, Pearl,” I tell her, leaving it at that.

“You’re welcome!” Pearl grins and continues eating, oblivious to the sudden tension in the room.

We make it through the rest of dinner with fairly little awkwardness, but my dad makes it clear that Robin’s leaving at seven. I say goodbye to her at the door and she promises to come back later, as always.

As I shut the door, I hear my dad call, “Jason! Living room! Now!”

I sigh and run my hand through my hair. “Yes, sir,” I mumble, going to sit down in the chair next to the couch where my parents are sitting. “Yeah, dad?” I ask, ready to get reamed.

“We need to talk about what’s going on between you and this girl,” he starts.

“Robin,” my mom corrects him, taking his hand and squeezing it.

“I don’t care what her name is, Bev,” my dad protests, yanking his hand away. “One day you’re alone, and now suddenly she’s with you all the time. We’re feeding her, and now your sister is saying you’re in love with her? What exactly is happening? Explain it to me.”

I glance at my mom, deciding to just plow straight ahead into the truth. “What’s happening, Dad, is that I’ve been into Robin for a long time. I just never thought I was good enough for her. But in detention the other day, she helped me with my homework and we started to talk, and I realized that even though I’m not, I can get there. I can try to be.”

“You met this girl in detention?” my dad asks incredulously.

“Mr. Zinkel put her in for asking a question about a problem with the book in class. Everyone knows it was stupid, but they’re not willing to call him on it. She’s not a bad person, Dad. You’ve seen that.”

“She helps with food and cleaning up every time she’s here, Sam,” my mom points out. “We have more than enough for her to join us. And her family is gone a lot. When they’re not, she has to take care of her brothers because her parents are so busy. The poor girl deserves a break.”

“I’m just concerned about how fast this seems to be getting serious. You’ve never even had a steady girlfriend before, Jason, and frankly, I’m not so sure she isn’t taking advantage of you. She’s not a cheerleader or a popular girl, is she? You’re out of her league.”

“Sam…” my mom starts, but I shake my head at her, pushing up out of my chair angrily.

“Dad, look. I get that you’re trying to look out for me. I do. But in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the popular football player anymore. No one even wants to look at me because I ruined the entire season. And honestly, I’m better off for it, Dad. I don’t have a bunch of fake people clamoring to be my friend or wanting to date me anymore. Robin likes me for me, and yes, I do love her. I know that it’s fast and I don’t expect you to get it or believe me, but we’re going to be together forever. I am going to marry her. I’m going to have a wonderful life with her. So doubt me all you want, and take it out on me all you want, but leave her alone, okay?”

“If she’s so secure, why does she need us to leave her alone?” my dad challenges me.

“Because she’s not, Dad,” I answer in exasperation. “I know that I’m not good enough for her, but she thinks what you do, that she’s not good enough for me. She doesn’t think she’s pretty enough or popular enough. But she loves me, so she’s working through it, and I’m helping her. It’s not fair for you to say she shouldn’t be insecure when you just told me five seconds ago that she’s not good enough for me.”

“Jason Lee Scott, if you think that you can talk to me that way…”

“Dad,” I interrupt him, “frankly, I should talk to you like this more.” His eyes widen, but I don’t give him a chance to get another word in. “I’m relieved, Dad,” I finally confess. “I never wanted to be a professional football player. It turns out that I want to be a mechanic, and you know who helped me realize that? Robin. She asked me what I wanted to do. No one’s ever asked me that before. She cares about me, and I care about her, and I’m not giving her up. I don’t care what you say. Kick me out, punish me, whatever. I’ll figure it out, because I’m not losing her.”

I’m kind of surprised that my dad lets me walk away to my room. I don’t know if he’s impressed or he’s going to go off on me even worse later. Either way, it feels good to have gotten it all out in the open, and good to know that I’ve defended Robin.

My mom comes to my room after I’ve gotten ready for bed to talk to me. “I’ll talk to him, sweetie,” she promises.

“I know he has good intentions, Mom. I know he’s just worried about me. But he has to let me live my own life. I guess it wasn’t as important to me before, but now that I’ve got someone else to worry about…”

“I know, Jason.” She hugs me. “I’m very proud of you. For realizing who you are, what you want to do, and who you want to be with. Deep down, he is too. It’s just going to take him longer to get there. He hung a lot on you and football.”

“I know, Mom. I never meant to disappoint him like I have.”

“You didn’t disappoint him, sweetie,” she assures me.

“Yes, I did. I did something stupid. He was right about the prank. Just… for the wrong reasons.” I sigh. “But maybe there was a reason. If I’d never gotten detention, Robin might have just passed me by. I might never have had the courage to talk to her on some kind of equal ground.”

My mom hugs me tighter as I think about it. I can’t imagine being without Robin now. I don’t want that to even be a thought in my head.

“I love you, Jason. I know things aren’t as easy as they could be right now, but it will get better, all right?”

“I know, Mom.”

“Get some sleep, okay? Things will look better tomorrow.”

“Yeah.”

I nod and she leaves. Right after, Robin crawls through my window and smiles at me. We snuggle into my bed and I hold her close. “How much did you hear?” I wonder.

“Just the last bit about us never talking,” she admitted.

I close my eyes and press my forehead against hers, swallowing against the lump in my throat. “I don’t want to think about that,” I tell her.

“We would have talked, Jason.”

I’d think she was just trying to make me feel better, but she sounds so sure. I open my eyes and look at her. “How do you know?” I ask.

“Because I had a plan,” she confesses. “I promised myself that, before I graduated, I would tell you how I felt. I was going to wait until the last minute because I was so scared, but I knew I couldn’t leave school without knowing, even if I thought I wouldn’t like the answer.”

“You were going to do that? Really?”

She nods. “I would have. I would have been terrified, but I would have done it. If I hadn’t I would have always wondered what might have happened if I’d just said something.”

“You’re braver than I am,” I tell her.

She shakes her head. “I’m really not, Jason.”

“Of course you are,” I counter. “You talked back to me in detention, even though you were nervous. You rode on my bike, even though you didn’t want to, and then you weren’t afraid to tell me how you felt about it. You ran with me at the mine. You climbed a mountain, jumped over a gorge, and dove into a mysterious pool of water that ended up leading to a spaceship.”

“You held my hand for all those things,” she argues.

“But you still did them,” I point out. “And so much more. You accepted the role of a Ranger faster than anyone else did. You faced Rita, and stood with us even when you thought you were going to die. You came here and met my parents. And you come see me every night, even though you know we could both get in trouble.”

“You’ve done almost all of that too, though, Jason. You talked to me first in detention.”

“Just as a friend. You were the one who showed me we could have more.” I laugh and kiss her nose. “Stop arguing with me and take the compliment, Ballard,” I tease.

She giggles. “All right, all right. I’m braver than you.”

“That’s better.” I lean forward and kiss her. “No more talking tonight, okay?” I murmur.

“Okay.”

I kiss her until we fall asleep, tangled up in each other’s arms.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin asks Kimberly for some advice.

**Robin**

The next few months pass quickly. As Rangers, we train and search for the green Power Coin. As high school students, we all hang out, study, and go to detention together.

Jason and I fall into a comfortable rhythm. School, detention, studying. When I’m not taking care of my brothers, I’m over at his house. I help him watch Pearl, and I either help Beverly make meals or make them myself with Jason and Pearl’s help.

We don’t spend any time at my house. Part of it is that Jason wants to let his dad know that he’s taking everything seriously and not just trying to stay away. The other part is that my mom and stepdad would just embarrass me.

My mom heard the gossip around town that Jason and I were dating, and she didn’t even ask if it was true. She just made fun of me because she can’t possibly believe it.

At least it makes it easier to go out. I just say that I’m studying and she lets me go, no questions asked. When she’s even around to tell.

But it’s not all sneaking around to be with Jason. When he’s busy, I spend time with the other Rangers. I help Billy with his plans to find the green Power Coin. I am not remotely the scientist he is, but he says I’ve always been a capable assistant, and I’m cool with that. Sometimes I visit Zack and his mom, bringing food, helping clean up, and playing games with them. 

More often than not, though, I hang out with Kimberly and Trini. It’s fun because we get to do all the girl stuff movies tell you you’re supposed to do in high school. Makeovers, sleepovers, the whole nine yards. I’ve never really had friends here before, so it’s a nice change.

One day, Kim and I are alone in her bedroom comparing shades of nail polish for her toes when I suddenly blurt out, “Kim, what do you know about sex?”

Kim immediately stops and looks me straight in the eyes. “Is he pressuring you?” she asks. “Because I’ll kick his ass.”

I giggle. “I can kick his ass if I have to, Kim, though I appreciate the thought.” I shake my head. “It’s not him. He’s been nothing but wonderful about taking it as slow as I want. And I don’t want to pressure him either. But I think I’m ready to… you know.”

“Well, I don’t know any teenage boy who wouldn’t want that gift,” Kimberly observes. “Okay. What have you guys done?”

I shrug. “Just kissed, mostly. Some touching over our clothes. We’ve both gotten, you know, excited while we do those things, but we’ve also pretty much always been at his house after I’ve snuck through his window. His dad still hasn’t exactly warmed up to me. The last thing I need is for him to catch us having sex in Jason’s bed. It’s one thing if we’ve got our clothes on and clearly weren’t doing anything. And I don’t want our first time to be like that. Rushed while we worry about being caught.”

“So they won’t be there when you’re planning to give him this present?” Kim wonders.

“No. Pearl has a softball tournament out of town that they’re taking her to soon. They’re going to make a weekend of it, and Jason can’t go because he’s on house arrest.”

“Right.” She nods. “They don’t know his monitor doesn’t work.”

“Yeah. We’ve been playing it safe so they don’t figure it out, otherwise we’d probably have gone further by now. But since they’re going to be gone, and my family will too, no one will be looking for us. I thought I’d set up a little campsite where we’ll really be away from everyone.”

“That’s really sweet,” Kim tells me. She moves so she’s sitting next to me and puts an arm around me. “But I’m guessing what you’re worried about is that you don’t have any experience?”

I blush. “I’d never even kissed someone until Jason kissed me,” I admit.

“And he’s never done more than that either, as far as I know.”

She looks to me for confirmation and I nod. “He’s kissed a few girls, but that’s all.”

Kim claps her hands together. “All right. So you’re both going to be nervous. It won’t be as bad, probably, because you’re totally into each other. No pressure on either side, except to be good for each other, right?”

I nod as she continues. “The best advice I can give you is to get him off first,” she explains. “It’ll help him go slower for the rest of the night, and it won’t ruin anything. He’s got the stamina.” She pauses and blinks. “I wonder if the whole Ranger thing changes any of that…”

I giggle. “Well, unless you’re willing to ask Zordon about it…”

Kim snorts and shudders. “No. No way.” She glances at me. “I don’t need to give you an anatomy lesson or anything, right? Like, you know how it all works?”

I blush more. “Yeah, of course, Kim. I have the Internet. I read fanfiction.”

“Fanfiction,” Kim sighs. “Ugh. So good. I’ll send you my reading list sometime.” She winks at me. “So what else are you worried about? If you want to know what you both like, you just have to try stuff, really.”

“I figured that.” I hug my knees and rest my chin on them, avoiding her gaze for a moment as I ask, “Does it hurt?”

“It is not supposed to hurt,” she says immediately. “If it hurts, something is wrong. Either he’s being too rough or you’re not ready enough. It feels weird, definitely, but it doesn’t hurt.” She tilts her head curiously. “I know it sounds like I’m fishing, but I’m really not. Is he, you know… big?”

“Um… I don’t know. I mean, I haven’t seen it. I’ve sort of felt it. But I don’t even know what big would be, I guess?”

“It can be more difficult if he’s really big. But most guys aren’t. The average is only six inches.”

“That sounds like a lot to me,” I mumble, suddenly intimidated. “God, Kim. What if I get his pants off and he’s just…”

She shakes her head and grabs my hands. “Look. Stop worrying, okay? You love him, right?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then the most important thing to remember is just to communicate. Tell him how you’re feeling. Make sure he tells you how he’s feeling. Stop if you’re uncomfortable. Just… don’t expect it to go a certain way, and it will be just fine, okay?”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure. You two are perfect together, really. I know nobody would have thought it, but you are. Just rely on that. You would never hurt each other.”

“We wouldn’t,” I agree. “Thanks, Kim.”

I rest my head on her shoulder and she hugs me again. “Oh! You’re going to be safe, right?”

I nod. “I’ve been on birth control since I was fifteen to regulate my periods. Do you think I should get condoms too? I kind of looked at them the other day when I was at the store and I had no idea where to start.”

Kim giggles. “Yeah, it’s kind of hard if you don’t know what you’re dealing with,” she admits. “You should be okay if you’re on birth control. It’s safer if you use both, but you might not want to. It’s up to you.” She raises her eyebrows. “Would you be… upset… if something happened?”

“Kim,” I chastise her. “We're eighteen. We can’t have a baby right now.”

“But you’re going to have some eventually?” she asks, arching an eyebrow and nudging me. “We’re going to have some little Rangers running around?”

I laugh and blush. “We’ve talked about kids. We want two. A boy and a girl, if we can swing it. But in the future, Kim. Not right now.”

“I’m just saying that it wouldn’t be the worst thing if there was an accident, that’s all.”

I snort. “Except that my mom would kick me out, and Jason’s dad would throw a fit and ban me from seeing him. So if there is an accident, I hope you’re open to having a roommate.”

Kim laughs too. “You always have a place with me, Robin. You and any adorable Ranger babies that you have.”

I shake my head. “Thank you. But I’ll try not to have any adorable Ranger babies just yet.”

“Okay.” She gives me another hug. “Call me if you need me, okay? Before, after. Not during, though. Let’s draw that line.”

I draw an X over my heart with my finger. “Cross my heart. Promise.”

“Good. Now just stop worrying and go get your man.”

“It isn’t for a few days, Kim,” I remind her.

“Oh, right. Well, then I still need you to help me decide between these two shades of pink.”

“You’re wearing a lot of pink lately,” I tease her, holding the bottles up to compare them once more.

“Ranger pride,” she replies.

“Will you do mine in purple, then?” I request.

“Yes!” she says excitedly. “I like this one for you. It has sparkles.”

“And I like this one for you. Brighter. Go for it. Even more pride and all.”

“Deal. I’ll grab snacks while you pick a movie, and then we’ll get started.”

I nod, picking up her remote and starting to flip through Netflix. I’m still nervous about what’s going to happen in a few days, but I feel a little better after talking to Kim. I never realized how much I was missing by not having friends here, but I’m really glad I have them now.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin gives Jason his gift.

**Jason**

I hold onto Robin’s hand tightly as she leads me through the trees. “Where are we going?” I ask again.

She laughs. “I told you it’s a surprise. And stop trying to peek through your blindfold. Don’t you trust me?” she teases.

“Of course I do,” I tell her softly.

She stops walking and I stop next to her. “Then look,” she whispers, undoing my blindfold.

I blink as she comes into view, then glance behind her. “Wow,” I murmur.

“Do you like it?” she wonders excitedly.

I nod. There’s a cooler, two chairs, and a tent set up in the little clearing she’s led us to, and twinkle lights are hanging on the nearby branches. “But what’s it for? Both of our houses are empty tonight,” I remind her.

She smiles. “I know. But I want it to be special when I give you my gift.”

“You did all of this just so you could give me a gift, Robin?”

She nods. “I did, Jason.” She places her palm flat against my chest and curls her other arm around my neck. “Because your gift… is me,” she reveals shyly.

I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her closer. “You?” I look down at her. “But I thought you were already mine.”

“I am, Jason.” She blushes and pushes playfully against my chest. “But I mean… all of me.”

I stare at her for a moment, trying to figure out what she means. Then she slides her hand down my chest and stomach and cups me gently through my pants.

“Oh,” I gasp, suddenly realizing. “Robin, you don’t have to… if you’re not ready… I… oh…”

I moan as she squeezes me and then starts to move her hand. I lower my head and press my face against her neck, breathing shallowly. “If you’re not ready, Jason, I’ll stop,” she assures me.

I bite my lip. I haven’t asked for more from her yet because I haven’t wanted to pressure her, and because we haven’t really had the chance to be alone. I don’t want to have to rush when we’re together like that, or worry that we’re going to get caught and not be able to focus on her.

But if she’s ready, and we’re finally really alone together, I don’t want to say no.

“Don’t stop, Robin,” I beg. “I want you.”

“I want you too, Jason,” she replies. She moves her hand to my face, tipping my head up and kissing me. “I love you,” she adds.

“I love you too.” Suddenly, though, I’m more nervous than I’ve ever been. “I don’t want to screw this up,” I blurt out, pulling back to look at her. “Seriously. This might be the most important thing I’ve ever done, and I helped save the world.”

She laughs lightly. “Don’t worry,” she soothes me. “Just let everything happen naturally, Jason. And tell me how you’re feeling so I know. I’ll tell you how I’m feeling too.”

I nod. “All right. I will.”

I lean forward and kiss her again, deeper this time. She walks us back slowly until we reach the tent, kissing my lips and then my nose sweetly before she turns and unzips it so we can step inside.

The tent is small, so I have to duck on the way in. After I’ve zipped up the door again, Robin pushes me down carefully onto the mattress and sheets she’s laid out and straddles me. I stare up at her, sliding my hands over her legs and squeezing her hips.

“This is why you wore the dress, huh?”

“I thought it would be easier,” she admits.

“You look beautiful in it.”

She smiles. “Thank you.”

As she looks at me, she slowly pushes my t-shirt up. I raise my arms so she can pull it off and toss it aside. She runs her hands over my chest and then leans down to kiss me again. I slip my hands under her skirt to feel her bare skin.

We’ve done all of this before. Touched. Kissed. But as I think about what she wants to do next, my heart starts beating faster and I feel like I can hardly breathe.

“I don’t know where to start,” I confess in a whisper.

“I do,” she promises. “Just relax and let me lead, okay?”

“Okay.” I lick my lips as she starts to kiss my neck. “How are you so calm?”

She takes my hand and presses it against her heart. I can feel it fluttering in her chest, and it makes me smile. “I’m nervous too, Jason. I want this to be good for both of us.”

“So do I,” I tell her, shuddering as her lips find my chest, slipping my hand around her breast and squeezing.

I watch as she kisses her way down. Her light brown hair is loose and falls in waves against my skin. It’s soft and smells good. My back arches involuntarily as her tongue traces the lines of my muscles.

This still isn’t anything we haven’t done before, so when she gets to my pants, I expect her to stop. But she carefully starts to undo them, making me shift suddenly beneath her. “Not yet,” I urge her, smoothing some of her hair out of her face and squeezing her shoulder. “I… I won’t…” I blush and finally manage to say, “I won’t last long if you do that.”

It’s embarrassing to admit, but it’s true. I control myself pretty well whenever we’re together, but that’s when I know she’s going to leave in the morning and I can take a shower and handle things myself.

“Don’t worry about that.” She looks up at me. “I have a plan.”

“You do?” I ask breathlessly.

She nods. “I got some advice from someone,” she explains, smiling at me.

She sits up on her knees and takes my shoes and socks off, carefully removing my ankle monitor. I’m not supposed to be able to take it off, but Billy figured that out too. I usually wear it anyway just so I don’t forget, but it will be nice to have it out of the way tonight. Then she reaches for my pants. I lift my hips so it’s easier for her to pull them down, blushing again as my growing erection strains against my boxer briefs.

I know she’s felt me against her before, but she’s never really seen me or touched me, besides what we couldn’t avoid when we were snuggling in bed. I’ve never been naked in front of a girl before, so I have no idea what she’s going to think.

She slips her flats off before kneeling back between my legs. She slides her hands over my bare thighs before ghosting them tentatively over the bulge in my shorts on her way back up to my waistband.

“You’re sure it’s okay?” she asks.

I prop myself up on my elbows to watch her. Her hazel eyes are wide and shining, and her breasts are heaving beneath the thin fabric of her dress. Her skirt is short, and pulled up just enough that I can see her thighs. Despite living in California, Robin is always pale, but the skin on her inner thighs, which I’ve never really looked at before, is dazzlingly white.

I nod, reaching out to squeeze her hand briefly. “I’m sure, Robin.”

She nods back and slowly peels the tight fabric away. I can tell she’s making sure to be careful so she doesn’t hurt me. I groan a little in relief as she frees me, watching nervously as she looks.

She tilts her head to the side curiously as she gets my underwear off and sets them aside too, then sighs. She seems relieved. “What?” I can’t help asking.

She laughs. “I was afraid you might be, um, too big. I worried that I wouldn’t be able to, well… do anything.”

I laugh along with her. “I don’t think I’m too big, though I’ve never really thought about it,” I admit. I bite my lip and add, “It’s… big enough, though, right?”

She blushes and nods. “I like it,” she reassures me, smiling. “Are you… all the way…?”

She trails off as she glances up at me. I nod and shift. “Yeah. I’m a little… uncomfortable, actually.”

“Because you need to…?”

“Yeah. But I can wait.”

I say it, but I’m not entirely sure I can live up to the promise. Thankfully, she immediately shakes her head. “You don’t have to wait, Jason. I’ve got it.”

I breathe in sharply as she closes her hand around me. No one’s ever touched me like this before. I never thought that someone else’s hand would feel so different from my own, but hers is small and delicate and soft compared to mine.

“God, that feels good,” I whisper, flexing my hips and pushing up into her touch.

Her other hand runs over my belly as she leans down, giving me a perfect view of her cleavage straining against her neckline.

“As good as this?” she whispers back.

Then her tongue strokes over the head of my cock and I groan loudly, my fingers fisting into the sheets beneath me. I can’t deny that I’ve thought about her doing this to me, but I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever have the courage to ask. I can’t believe that she’s just doing it.

She looks up at me again as she presses a soft kiss to the spot her tongue just ran over. I actually see myself twitch against her lips. She smiles when she catches my eyes and I hope I look appreciative. I certainly feel appreciative.

“That feels amazing,” I finally answer her, trying to catch my breath. I lick my lips. “How does it feel for you?”

“Your skin is so soft,” she says, moving her hand gently. “Softer than I thought it would be. I like it.”

I bite my lip, closing my eyes as I see fluid start to bead at my tip. Vaguely, I think I realized how embarrassing it would be to share all of these bodily reactions with somebody else, but actually doing it is a little different.

“Are you all right, Jason? Are you going to…?”

“Not yet, but… soon,” I admit softly, reluctantly opening my eyes again.

“Can I… taste it?”

I’ve heard the word erotic before, of course, but I finally get what it means. Watching her bent over me like this, tucked against my body, her hand wrapped around me, her mouth hovering, her eyes gazing up at me, is definitely erotic.

I swallow, trying to control myself. “You want to?” I wonder.

She blushes. “Yes.”

“Okay.” I hold my breath, groaning as her tongue swipes over me again. She licks her lips after, smiling up at me. “Is it gross?”

It kind of seems like it would be gross.

She shakes her head. “No, it’s not.” Her blush deepens as she adds, “Let me make you come, Jason.”

“What about you?” I ask, my voice tight.

She should go first, shouldn’t she? I should be focused on her, not letting her focus on me.

“It’ll be my turn next,” she assures me. “We both want to please each other, Jason. It’s not a contest. It’s an experience.”

“I know you’re right,” I answer. “I just don’t want to disappoint you.”

“You’re not, Jason. I promise.”

I nod, swallowing again. “Okay. Go ahead.”

I’m not sure what she’s going to do. When she lowers her head and seals her mouth around me, my toes curl. When she starts to bob her head, I can’t help letting out a plaintive whine.

It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever felt in my life. I let my head fall back against the pillows. I want to watch her, but right now all I can do is give in to the feeling. I can hear her as she starts to suck, and that makes it even better.

There are noises coming out of me that I’ve never heard before as she continues, and I quickly realize that I’m ready. I fumble with the words, trying to tell her. “Robin, I’m… I’m going to…”

I feel her pull her mouth off of me, squirming as she rubs her fingers over the wet head of my cock. “Go ahead, Jason,” she urges me, her voice breathless.

And I do. It’s so much better than anything I’ve ever experienced by myself, and I gasp roughly until I’m finished, throwing my arm over my eyes as I feel her move up and stretch out beside me.

I struggle to catch my breath as I feel her clean me off with a warm rag. She really did think of everything, apparently.

Finally, she moves my arm out of the way. My eyes flicker open and I gaze at her. She laughs, so I know the look on my face must reflect the awe and wonder I feel.

“How did you learn to do that?” I ask her, my voice rough and husky.

She buries her face in my shoulder shyly. “I read some things. And watched some things,” she confesses softly.

I turn onto my side, taking her face in my hands and tipping it up so she’s looking at me. “Thank you,” I murmur, leaning forward to kiss her.

She leans back, though, so I stop. “Are we supposed to kiss after I’ve done that?” she wonders self-consciously.

It’s my turn to laugh. “Of course we are,” I assure her, leaning forward again to capture her lips with mine.

“Oh!” she squeaks.

She leans into the kiss, though, and it quickly becomes heated. I reach down and grab her thigh, tugging it up over mine, pushing her skirt out of the way at the same time. I slide my hand around to squeeze her bottom and pull her against me hard. It’s already hot and wet between her legs, and suddenly I want to know how it feels to be buried inside her more than anything.

I roll her onto her back, holding her wrists together over her head. She squirms excitedly underneath me and makes another squeaking noise.

I lean down and kiss her again. “My turn,” I whisper against her lips.

**Robin**

I shiver as Jason whispers against my lips, excited for what’s coming next. I want him even more now than I did before. Knowing that I pleased him is a heady feeling.

He kisses his way down my neck to my cleavage, moving his hands to tug my dress down over my bra. He slides his fingers inside the fabric and makes his way around my back to the clasp, popping it open in one try.

I laugh up at him as he looks surprised about that. He grins at the sound as he pulls the cups down and finally sees my naked breasts.

I squeeze my eyes shut reflexively. They flicker open again when he murmurs, “So beautiful.”

His hands grip my breasts and squeeze. I love the way his hands feel on me. They’re slightly rough, and so warm that they make my skin feel like it’s on fire. “Jason…” I stammer, trying to be quiet.

Then his tongue swirls around my nipple and I cry out, covering my mouth with my hand automatically. Jason reaches up and pulls it away. “We’re all alone out here, and I want to hear you,” he tells me.

He moves his head and his tongue laves over my other nipple, making me cry out again. When he starts to suck, my fingers tangle in his hair and I moan his name.

“That’s it,” he encourages. “Don’t hold back.”

His hair is soft beneath my fingers, and I wrap my legs around him so I can feel more of him against me. Jason lets go briefly and asks, “Is this good?”

I nod. “Don’t stop, please!” I beg.

He bends his head, sucking harder. My hips lift as I cleave to him. He moves one hand beneath me and presses it into the small of my back, keeping me pressed against him. I realize that he’s already getting hard again and I moan as he rubs between my legs.

It’s all so much sensation. Him on me and around me, his mouth wet and warm against my skin, his hands pressing into me. It’s too much. Suddenly, I’m crying out and spasming against him harder than I ever have by myself.

Jason raises his head and looks at me in surprise. “Did you just…?”

“Oh…” I squeak and cover my eyes. “I’m sorry. I…”

Jason slips back up to kiss me, carefully moving my hands. “Don’t apologize, Robin. I just didn’t think it would be so fast for you. That’s good, though, right?”

“I didn’t know it would be so fast, either,” I confess. “But I liked it.”

He nods. “I did too.”

I lean up and kiss him. “I want more, Jason,” I tell him. “I want all of you.”

He kisses me back. “I want all of you too, Robin.”

He sits up, bringing me with him so he can take the rest of my clothes off. As he pulls my dress over my head, he adds, “We’re being safe, right?”

I nod. “I’m on birth control,” I tell him.

He looks surprised again. “You are?”

“I’ve been on it since I was fifteen. For my…” I blush. “For my periods.”

He smooths my hair over my ear and smiles. “You can tell me anything, Robin. It’s okay.” He licks his lips. “Is that… enough?”

“It should be. I tried to look at condoms at the store, but I didn’t know what to get. And I didn’t want anyone to see me buying them.”

“If you’re okay with it, I am,” he assures me. “Honestly, I want to know how it feels… without anything between us.”

“Me too.” I wrap my arms around his neck and lean back, taking him with me. “Like this?” I wonder softly.

“You want me to be on top?”

“I think so. Do you want to be?”

“I think so,” he responds, then laughs. “Sorry I’m so indecisive.”

“It’s okay,” I remind him. His hands slide down my sides to my panties and he looks at me questioningly. I nod. “Go ahead, Jason.”

He slowly removes the last scrap of clothing between us, settling over me and getting closer. His breathing speeds up again as I reach between us to guide him to the right spot. “There,” I whisper.

“Thank you,” he answers. He takes a deep breath and says, “Tell me if I hurt you, Robin.”

I shake my head slightly. “You won’t hurt me, Jason.”

He holds my gaze as he slowly pushes inside, and I know he’s looking for signs. I hold onto him tightly, hoping I look reassuring. I breathe in deeply as he pushes further and he hesitates. “Does it hurt?” he asks desperately. “I don’t want…”

“Shh,” I soothe him. “To hurt me. I know. Jason, you’re not. Really.” I swallow as he looks at me worriedly, trying to think of how I can explain it. “I feel… full, Jason, but it doesn’t hurt. It’s actually… nice.” I rub his arms gently. “Does it feel nice for you?”

He laughs lightly. “It feels incredible,” he confesses. “But not if…”

I lift my legs a little more, squeezing his sides with my thighs. “Keep going, Jason,” I whisper. “Please.”

He nods. His movements are slow and tentative at first, but as we both get more excited, he relaxes and we fall into a rhythm. We hold each other, staring into each other’s eyes. The tent’s warm now, filled with the sounds of our breathing.

“Should I… stay inside or… or…?” Jason asks breathlessly.

“Stay, Jason,” I murmur, clinging to him. “Stay, please.”

“Are you…?” he gasps, struggling with the words.

“Close,” I assure him. “Yes.”

He rocks against me and I pull him down for a kiss, my head tipping back. Then I’m crying out his name, clenching around him, and he’s spilling inside of me.

It takes a few minutes for us both to calm down. Once we do, we clean each other up and then lie back down in each other’s arms.

“That’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt,” Jason admits. “Thank you for my gift. I love you.”

I smile. “Me too. You’re welcome. I love you too.” I glance up at him. “Do you think it’s like that every time?”

“I hope so,” he chuckles, leaning down to kiss me. “How about we find out?”

I laugh. “Yes, please,” I answer, kissing him back.

We were both worried, but it went better than I ever could have imagined. Nothing can separate us now.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rita returns.

**Robin**

A few days later, I’m with Kimberly and Trini as they shop for dresses for the Christmas dance. I’m going with Jason, of course, but I don’t have the money to buy something new. I thought I would mind, but I find I really don’t. The most important thing to me is who I’m with, not what I’m wearing.

I’m searching through the racks for both of their sizes when Kim nudges me. “So,” she starts. “How did it go? We haven’t had a chance to talk since you and Jason… you know.”

I blush as the rack of dresses across from us parts and Trini looks at both of us through the gap. “Really, Kim? We’re going to talk about this now?”

Kim laughs. “Well, it’s not like I want all the anatomical details, Trin,” she says, using her new nickname for our friend and fellow Ranger.

“It was perfect,” I answer. “We were both nervous at first, but I just did what you said. We communicated with each other.”

Trini pauses and leans further through the gap. “Did he make you… you know?” she wonders.

My blush deepens and I nod. “Quite a few times,” I admit.

We’re all silent for a moment until Trini murmurs, “Get it, girl.”

We all burst out laughing, then finally make our selections before heading to the changing rooms. I hand Kim and Trini what I picked out for each of them, then sit and wait.

They come out of the rooms for feedback until they’ve each chosen a dress. I’m surprised when Kim then reaches back into her room and pulls out a dress that she then hands to me.

“What’s this?” I ask. “Are you getting something else?”

She shakes her head. “Nope. That one’s for you. Try it on.”

I smile. “Thank you, Kim, but you know I can’t try it on. Even if I like it, I can’t afford it.”

“That’s why it’s a gift from me and Trin. For Christmas.”

Trini comes and puts her arm around Kim and smiles. “Exactly,” she agrees.

“You guys, I can’t accept this,” I protest. “It’s too much, and I can’t get you anything nearly as nice. I can’t get a job right now. I don’t even have an allowance.”

“We’re not doing it so you’ll get us something nice,” Kim tells me. “We’re doing it because you’re our friend, and you deserve a nice dress to wear to the dance. I know you’ve never been to a school dance before. Well, now you get to go, and what you wear should be special.”

“And you can wear it to prom too,” Trini adds. “So it does double duty. And it’s on clearance. You’re not going to find a better deal.”

They both pull me up and practically shove me into the changing room. “Just try it on,” Kim urges. “Please.”

“All right, all right,” I agree. They’d probably barricade me in here until I tried it on anyway if I don’t give in. “Give me a minute.”

I take off my clothes, then carefully pull the dress over my head. As I look in the mirror, I realize that it’s absolutely gorgeous. The fabric is purple and sparkly and hugs my curves in all of the right places. Kim and Trini knew just what they were doing.

“I’m coming out,” I tell them. “I promise that I won’t run.”

“We’re ready!” Kim says excitedly.

I step out, smiling shyly at both of them. “What do you think?” I wonder.

But it’s obvious from their faces already. “It is perfect,” Kim gushes.

“It really is,” Trini agrees. “You have to let us get it now.”

“I don’t know…” I trail off.

I do really want it, but it feels so unfair to let them get it for me.

“Come on,” Trini bargains. “How many times have you made food for all of us? Helped us clean our houses and look after our siblings? It’s not money, but you always find ways to give back. This is ours, okay?”

“Also, if you don’t get it now, I’ll come back and get it for you later,” Kim threatens.

I sniffle and wipe at my eyes. “Okay. Thank you, you guys. This is the nicest thing anyone’s done for me.”

“Pretty sure your boyfriend did something nicer for you a few days ago,” Trini points out, making me laugh.

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “He got something out of it too.”

“As do we,” Kim announces. “Being your friend.”

I change back into my clothes, then we all head to the counter. Once we have our purchases, we drift back out into the mall. “So are you guys going to the dance with anyone?” I ask.

Kim blushes suddenly and I raise an eyebrow. She never does that. Trini smirks and glances at Kim. “You wanna tell her?”

“Tell me what?”

“Well, Trini and I are going to the dance… together,” she admits, looking at me nervously.

I want to cheer. I’ve been waiting for this to happen. I’ve been noticing the signs between them for a while now, but I didn’t say anything. I figured it was a conclusion they should come to themselves.

Before I cheer, though, I decide to have a little fun with Kim.

“As friends? I think that’s cool. You don’t have to have a date, right?”

“Um… well… uh…” Kim scrambles. I bite my lip, trying not to laugh at her. Trini starts to laugh, though, and I can’t help joining in. “Oh,” Kim realizes. “Oh my God, you were joking. That is so mean!”

She starts to laugh with us too and I slip between them, putting an arm around each of them. “I think it is awesome that you guys are going together, and I will help you beat up anyone who has anything gross to say about it.”

They hug me back as we make our way outside. We put our bags in Kim’s car and are just about to hop in when we hear screaming.

“That way.” Trini points, immediately moving off in the right direction.

Kim and I both follow her. I flip open my communicator and get ready to hit the SOS just in case. We haven’t really had any Ranger-worthy problems in the last few months, but we’re certainly not going to let anybody get hurt if we can help.

Trini stops in a clump of trees right near the screaming. “We have a problem,” she hisses, pointing out at the road.

“Are those Putties?” Kim asks. “How can they be here? I thought only Rita could summon them.”

“Let’s worry about that later,” I suggest, hitting the SOS button. “We need to morph and take care of them before anybody gets hurt.”

“Agreed.”

Since our communicators connect to the morphing grid, we can morph anywhere now. We do so quickly and move out to draw the Putties’ attention before they can attack anyone.

There aren’t many of them, so we get rid of them quickly. By the time the boys arrive, everything is back to normal. We head back into the trees to take our suits off. “We need to go to the spaceship and talk to Zordon,” Kim decides. “Now.”

No one disagrees, so we all pile into Kim’s car and head out. Zack lets Alpha know we’re on the way. Before long, we’re climbing up the mountain to the gorge and diving down into the cave.

“Rangers, I’m glad you’re here,” Zordon starts, skipping any pleasantries. “It appears that Rita has returned. We’ve picked up an energy signal from the moon.”

“The moon?” Billy asks. “Why is she on the moon?”

“I assume to avoid our direct interference,” Zordon replies. “There’s no way for us to get you to the moon, but it’s close enough that she can send her minions down to wreak havoc upon Angel Grove.”

“What minions?” Jason wonders. “Are there more besides the Putties?”

“Is she going to summon Goldar again?” Trini adds. “Or did we destroy him for good?”

“And how did she even survive?” Kim chimes in. “Jason slapped her into space. Shouldn’t she be dead?”

Zordon’s been trying to answer each question the entire time. “Guys, let him get a word in and maybe he’ll tell us,” I advise, smiling at them.

“Thank you,” Zordon responds, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts before he continues. “There are many sources of power in the universe, both those that we know of and those we don’t. It is possible that Rita survived being sent into space and happened upon one of them, or even that one was powerful enough to revive her. Though we have only seen Putties so far, we must assume that Rita would not have returned if she didn’t have some formidable foes waiting for you. However, I do not think she will be able to summon Goldar again. The green Power Coin was a significant source of power for her, and it grew in power for years while she was in stasis, much as yours created enough overflow power to create the purple Power Coin.”

“So what’s our next step, Zordon?” I ask. “You said we can’t get to her on the moon.”

“Correct. I fear that we must simply wait for Rita to show us her hand and collect what data we can until we are able to formulate a plan to get rid of her once and for all. You should be on the lookout for Putties and any other monsters she might have to set against us.”

“Report anything you see that’s out of the ordinary,” Jason orders. “We don’t know where or when these monsters will appear, or what they will look like. If there’s any violence at all, send an SOS signal and we’ll all join you. If you’re fighting any of Rita’s minions, you need to be morphed so no one sees that it’s you. Make sure you change when you’re hidden, like Robin, Kim, and Trini did today. We can’t risk anyone finding out who we are.”

Zordon smiles approvingly. “Excellent instructions, Jason. Alpha and I will see if we can find out anything more. But until then, Rangers, you must simply be prepared for anything at anytime.”

“We’ll double up on training sessions too,” Jason decides. “Starting tomorrow. We’ve made a lot of progress, but I’d like us to make more now that Rita’s back.”

“You got it, man,” Zack agrees. “You know we’re on board.”

Jason nods. “Good. I’ll see everyone here tomorrow right after school.”

We leave the spaceship and start the trek back to Kim’s car. Jason wraps his arm around me on the way, kissing my temple. “You okay?” he wonders softly.

I squeeze him back. “Of course. I was with my girls, and it was only a few Putties. We made out okay.”

“Never doubted that you would,” he assures me. “Sorry I wasn’t there, though.” He pauses. “What were you all doing, anyway?” he asks nonchalantly.

I giggle and playfully shove him. “Aw, Scott,” I tease. “Is this about you not getting any this afternoon?”

Ever since that night, we’ve been using a lot of our alone time to have sex. It’s usually in the afternoons when we know we won’t be interrupted. We’re both still a little hesitant to try at night, as much as we want to.

He flushes and grins at me shyly. “I missed you. That’s all,” he hedges.

“We were shopping for dresses for the winter dance,” I explain, sliding my hand into his back pocket as we continue to walk and squeezing his ass.

“You’re getting a new dress?”

He knows about my money problems, and he’s always sweet about them. I smile to myself as I answer. “I did. Kimberly and Trini gave it to me as a Christmas present.”

“That was sweet of them,” he whispers, kissing my cheek. “I can’t wait to see it.”

“Not until the night of the dance,” I tell him.

He laughs as we reach Kim’s car. “I’ll consider it practice for when we get married.”

He’s been teasing me with the idea of marriage ever since Pearl asked about it. I roll my eyes at him, but he knows that the instant he asks, I’ll say yes.

I snuggle into his side on the drive, letting him hold me. Everyone is quiet as we’re each dropped off one by one. I get out with Jason and he walks me to my door.

“You’ll come by later?” he begs.

I laugh and wrap my arms around his neck, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him. “Why do you even ask that anymore?” I wonder. “I’ve spent every night with you since we first kissed.”

“I just like hearing you say it,” he admits.

I kiss him one more time. “I’ll see you tonight, Jason,” I assure him.

“Good.” He pulls away reluctantly. “I love you, Robin.”

“I love you too.”


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something unusual happens and the Rangers are not even close to prepared.

**Robin**

The next few weeks keep us busy. We have a ton of exams before the winter break, along with all of our regular homework, studying, and Saturday detention. We’re training without weapons, with weapons, and with the Zords everyday for as long as we can. I’m cooking up a storm for the holidays so that my brothers have something to take to their school bake sales, and I’m giving food gifts to all of my friends’ parents. I’m also helping Beverly plan Christmas dinner since my mom, stepdad, and brothers are visiting his family and leaving me to watch the house. Plus there’s getting ready for the dance, which I’m really looking forward to.

After our initial encounter with the Putties when we were shopping, they’ve shown up everyday since. It’s always fairly small groups, but now multiple groups are appearing at the same time and forcing us to split up. We try to stay in pairs, at least, but the attacks are increasing in frequency, so that’s not always possible.

It’s just a few days before the dance when Billy and I take on another group. I was at his house dropping off a box of holiday treats for his mom and helping him with his ongoing search for the green Power Coin. After, Jason meets up with us for a report, and he asks a question that’s been on all of our minds.

“What is the point of all of these attacks? The groups aren’t big enough to really pose a threat to us.”

“She’s studying us,” Billy explains.

“Huh?” Jason wonders.

I nod. “Billy’s right. She’s collecting data. How long it takes us to respond, who we fight with when we split up, the techniques we use. She’s waiting to make her move until she has whatever it is she thinks she needs.”

Jason sighs. “I wonder what that is. I don’t like all this waiting. I’d rather she just do something already.”

“Tell me about it,” I agree.

All of our communicators beep, interrupting our conversation. “Guys, we have a new problem near the mine,” Zack announces. “Everyone should get here right away.”

“We’ll be there ASAP, Zack,” Jason answers.

He and Billy have their bikes. I jump up onto Jason’s handlebars and we take off.

When we arrive at the mine, we see a much larger group of Putties. This time, though, they’re accompanied by a strange monster that looks like a jackal dressed as a genie.

“Excellent! You’re all here! Now I can grant my mistress Rita’s wish!” it crows.

We all glance at each other. “What wish?” Jason demands.

But the creature just disappears along with the Putties. A strange wave of energy moves outward, washing over us before we can get out of the way.

I blink. I feel odd for a moment, and then it passes.

Then Billy says, “Um. Guys? I think… something really strange has happened.”

We all turn and look at each other. “What?” I ask. “Everyone seems fine.”

Then I realize that what I just said was in Jason’s voice. I turn and look over my shoulder and see… myself.

I swallow. “Oh boy,” I mutter.

We head back to the spaceship. By the time we get there, it’s easy enough to tell what happened, though we don’t yet know how.

I’ve switched bodies with Jason. Kimberly’s switched bodies with Billy. And Zack’s swapped bodies with Trini.

“This is definitely the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to us,” Kimberly observes.

It’s so strange. I can tell it’s her, even though it’s Billy’s body. Her tone, her stance, her cadence, is all hers, but it’s his face and voice.

“Any ideas, Zordon? I have to go home and take care of my mom,” Zack adds.

“I am afraid that until we know what caused the switch, there is nothing we can do,” Zordon explains. “Alpha and I will start working on the problem immediately.”

“What do we do in the meantime?” Trini asks.

I take a deep breath. “We only have one choice,” I tell them. “We have to live each other’s lives for a while. Hopefully we can fix this sooner rather than later, but for now, just do the best you can and keep in constant contact with each other. If anyone notices anything off, just say you’re tired or feeling sick or something vague. Nothing too crazy.”

“I agree with Robin,” Jason says.

He’s smiling at me, and I suddenly realize the irony. I’m in his body and I just gave the orders.

“It’s got to have something to do with that monster Rita sent,” Billy adds. “It looked like some sort of genie, and it said it was granting her wish once we were all together.”

“I agree,” Zordon confirmed. “We will see what we can learn about this creature and its powers. We’ll let you know as soon as we have anything.”

We all leave in silence, splitting off into our respective pairs. Jason and I walk slowly, trying to get used to our new bodies. It’s disconcerting. I’m too tall, and my center of gravity is all off. Plus there are the… extra bits. I grimace and reach down, trying to adjust myself.

Jason laughs beside me. “Here, let me, um, help.”

He stands in front of me and reaches into my pants. At first, it’s fine, but then I’m surprised to find myself having a… reaction… to him touching me. I flush, looking up and away from him, putting my hands on his shoulders and gently pushing him away. “Maybe not the, um, best idea,” I murmur, swallowing self-consciously.

He blushes. “Right. Sorry. I didn’t think about… uh, that.”

“It’s okay. It’s just kind of a… weird sensation for me,” I admit.

“Yeah, I bet. I’m not sure I’m going to get used to the bra,” he confesses. “How do you carry these around all the time?”

I laugh and shrug. “No choice, really,” I point out. I pause, then add, “I’m… really glad we’ve already had sex. It feels like if we hadn’t and then this happened, it would have been sort of like cheating.”

He laughs too. “Yeah, probably.”

I thread my fingers through his. “What are we going to do?” I ask quietly.

I can’t even imagine what this is like for the others. Jason and I know each other incredibly well in pretty much every way. It’s going to be a lot easier for us to pretend to be each other, I think.

“You know how to act around my mom and dad. Just don’t cook as well as you normally do,” he jokes.

“It’s leftover night at my house,” I tell him. While Jason’s never stayed at my house for that long, I’ve told him pretty much everything about what it’s like. “Just heat things up and let everyone take what they want. My brothers will probably need help with their homework, and some people will be by to pick up cookies, but they’re already all made and labeled.”

I stop, looking down at my feet and biting my lip. Jason puts his hand on the small of my back. “Hey, babe, it’s okay. What’s wrong?”

“You’re going to have to live my life, Jason,” I whisper. “You’ll get to see what it’s really like.”

“And that scares you,” he realizes.

I feel his hands… my hands… cup my face as he pushes up onto his tiptoes to look at me. “Babe, there is nothing to worry about. So I have to live your life for a few days. It’s not going to change the way I think about you.”

“It might…” I say worriedly, shaking my head. “I’ve told you about it, Jason, but seeing it… living it… is a completely different story.”

He pulls my head down to kiss me, and I wrap my arms around him and squeeze. Suddenly, I’m overwhelmed. His lips are soft, and all of his curves are pressed against me, and suddenly I find myself having a reaction again.

I flush as he giggles, keeping my head pulled down so I’m forced to look into his eyes. “Is it like this all the time?” I wonder.

He laughs. “Don’t you already know the answer to that?” he asks slyly.

“I mean, sort of, but I didn’t realize it was really this bad. I just thought you were really into me.”

“I am, babe,” he assures me. “It wasn’t nearly this bad until I really noticed you.”

“It’s weird to be turned on by my own body,” I whisper shyly.

“I disagree. I know you enjoy your breasts just as much as I do.”

He winks and I giggle. It sounds strange in his voice, which makes us both laugh again.

The walk to my house feels way too short. I look at him nervously as I leave him on the stoop. “I’ll be fine,” he assures me. “I’ll climb through the window later, okay? Text me if you need me.”

“I will.”

I lean down and kiss him softly, clinging to him for a moment. It’s odd to be the taller one, the stronger one. He’s usually the one who comforts me. He’s the one who wraps me up in his arms and holds me all night when I need it. I feel like that should be me now, but I am in no way prepared for it.

“It’s still me, Robin,” he promises softly, gazing up into my eyes.

“How do you do that?” I wonder.

He shrugs. “They might be my eyes, but your looks are the same,” he explains. “Go relax. My dad is out on the boat tonight, remember? It will just be my mom and Pearl. Easy night.”

I nod uncertainly, then mutter, “Unless I slip up and call her Beverly.”

He chuckles. “Just try not to overthink it too much, babe. You’ll do great.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I know I am. And hey, I’m sure Zordon will have all of this figured out tomorrow and we’ll be back to normal in no time.”

I take a deep breath and try to relax. Maybe he’s right. Maybe Zordon will figure all of this out soon. I can survive until then, right?

“I love you, Jason,” I tell him, squeezing his hand one more time.

He nods. “Love you too, Robin. See you tonight.”

I nod back, then start walking towards his house. Despite his complete and total faith in me, I’m still just hoping that I don’t screw it up.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason experiences Robin’s home life.

**Jason**

I watch Robin leave. It’s odd to see myself walking away from me. That’s not something you ever really think about witnessing.

I take a deep breath before heading inside her house. I acted a little more confident than I feel because I didn’t want her to worry. But even with how easy she said the night was going to be, I’m a little concerned. She’s way more responsible than I’ve ever been, and I know she does a lot more at home than I do.

I open the door and step inside. There’s not anyone else here yet, and I’m glad. It will give me a minute to acclimate myself.

I open the fridge and note all the leftovers she mentioned. Everything’s neatly labeled and dated. The cookies are stacked on a corner of the counter, ready to go, just like she said. There’s a large monthly calendar on the fridge filled out in her neat handwriting, and I move closer to look at it. Her brothers both had activities after school today, but we were out for a while, so they’ll be home soon.

Next to the calendar on the fridge is a list on a whiteboard with boxes for checkmarks next to each item. The title says that it’s her chore list. As I read it over, I frown. It’s basically everything that needs to be done. Laundry, dishes, trash, cleaning, cooking. She wasn’t kidding when she said her parents don’t do anything at all. No wonder she’s exhausted when she comes to see me every night.

I can always tell, though she’s never brought it up. She’s never told me she’s too tired to help me study or talk about problems I’m having. She’s never even told me she’s too tired to have sex, though I’m guessing that has more to do with it probably helping her relax.

I’m going to help her more once we get back into our own bodies. She deserves it. She’s so generous with me and my family. With everybody, really. And hardly anyone seems to appreciate it.

I head to her room. I have to figure out which one it is, so I open every door I pass, making sure to shut them again until I get to hers. Then I set her things down and look around. It’s perfectly clean and neat. Everything has a place. I should figure out how to do my room this way without asking for her help. Even after cleaning, mine doesn’t look this good.

I hear the front door bang open, and a moment later, her brothers are calling her name. I go out to meet them, reminding myself that I can do this.

“Hi, Robin! What is there to eat?” one of them yells.

“I need help with my English homework!” another chimes in.

English homework. That could be tricky.

But I steel myself and head into the kitchen, texting her on the way. _What are they allowed to snack on before dinner?_

She types back immediately. _There are packs I made in the fridge. Bottom shelf on the left. There’s fruit and cheese and stuff in them._

I open the fridge. I hadn’t looked on that shelf earlier, but they’re right where she said they would be, of course. I pull out two and set them on the table, then the phone dings again. _Give them milk to drink if they want something._

“Milk too, guys?” I ask.

I’m trying to remember how Robin talks. She’s more articulate than me, so that’s a bit hard. Hopefully no one will notice anything too off.

“Yes, please!” they both reply.

I pour them two glasses of milk as they get their homework out and start working as they snack. I’m relieved that they’re not arguing with me. Apparently, Robin’s brothers listen to her, at least. Probably because she takes care of them and makes their life easier.

“What did you need help with?” I ask the one who said he’d needed it earlier.

I remember their names, but I don’t remember who’s who, since this is the first time I’ve met them. I’m hoping I can catch it on his homework.

“English,” he repeats. “We’re doing haikus and I don’t really get it.” I wrinkle my nose before I remember that Robin likes English, unlike me. But luckily, her brother laughs. “I know you hate poetry, Robin, but you’re good at it,” he protests.

I smile. I had no idea Robin hated poetry. It’s not exactly the kind of thing we talk about, especially lately.

I peek as he pulls out his worksheet. Austin is his name. And if he’s Austin, the older one is Maddox.

“I have a friend who’s really good at these,” I tell him. “I’m going to text for some help and we’ll all figure it out together, all right?”

He nods and starts showing me what he has to do. I text Robin. _Haikus. Help!_

_Ugh_, she texts back. _I hate poetry. Take a picture of the worksheet and send it to me._

I do and we work through it together. People come by to pick up cookies, just like Robin said, and I hand them out using the labels.

I actually feel like I’m getting the hang of it until her parents come home.

“Where’s dinner?” her stepdad announces loudly before he’s even in the door. “How many times have I told you to have dinner ready and on the table as soon as we get home?”

I swallow, feeling myself flush. I knew it was going to be bad. One of the reasons I’ve never pushed to meet Robin’s family is because I didn’t think I’d be able to keep my mouth shut around them. Now I’m here, but I’m her, and the last thing I want to do is make it worse for her when we’ve switched back.

“I’m getting it right now,” I answer softly, biting my tongue so I don’t say anything else.

It doesn’t go by that easily, though. Maddox jumps to Robin’s defense. “You’re early. And it’s leftovers night. All she has to do is heat a few things up. You guys could do that yourselves.”

I smile to myself. Robin told me at one point that Maddox has been a little more vocal lately in terms of their relationship with their parents. Her guess was that he’s just at the age where he’s finally started to see through their facade of being good parents.

“We have been at work all day, young man,” her stepdad continues.

“Yeah, and we’ve been at school,” Maddox interrupts. “You guys are the parents. You’re supposed to take care of us, not make one of your other kids do it for you.”

I also remember that Robin was worried about his mouth getting him into trouble, so I step in. “It’s okay, Maddox,” I tell him quietly. “Sit down and finish your homework and I’ll get everything reheated, okay?”

Maddox looks at me, and he’s clearly angry. But he nods and goes back to the table while I move to the fridge. Austin, who’s already done, joins me. “I’ll set the table, Robin.”

“Thanks, kiddo,” I reply, hoping Robin calls them things like that.

Her stepdad glares at Maddox as he breezes past the table. “Watch your mouth from now on, Maddox. You learned that insolent backtalk from your real father, and I won’t stand for it.”

Maddox’s face darkens and I can tell he wants to talk back again. I don’t get exactly where he’s coming from since my parents aren’t divorced, but if anyone insulted my dad like that, I’d be mad too.

I hold my breath as their stepdad walks down the hallway. Thankfully, Maddox stays quiet. I pull all the leftovers out and start sorting them into what needs reheating and what can just be put on the table the way it is. In just a few minutes, everything is ready and we’re all sitting down.

The meal is an exercise in frustration. They expect Robin to serve everyone, apparently, throughout the meal, regardless of if she’s eating or not. I keep getting up and down, up and down. I’m not mad for myself. It’s one night, and I can deal with that. I’m mad for her.

I had no idea how she was still so sweet and generous and giving before, and I have even less of an idea now. How does someone like her come out of an environment like this?

I’m eating a piece of leftover lasagna that I recognize as my mom’s, which makes me smile. Robin’s mom, though, seems to have a different opinion of her eating habits.

“You shouldn’t make us so many carbs,” she criticizes. “The last thing you need is more carbs. I don’t know how anyone got the idea that Jason Scott is interested in you. A fit boy like him wouldn’t want a fat girl like you.”

I swallow hard. Robin is bigger, it’s true, but I think she’s perfect. I also know that now she needs to eat a lot more to stay healthy because of our Ranger powers. And us dating is just a reality. I can’t believe her mom still thinks it’s a rumor, even though Robin’s never introduced me to them.

If she ever does, I might not be able to avoid giving them a piece of my mind now. This is awful. No wonder she’s so self-conscious all the time. No matter how much anyone else builds her up, she’s just torn down when she’s here.

Her stepdad laughs at the comment, and then they start talking about their upcoming trip this weekend. They’re leaving tomorrow, Friday morning, and her brothers are spending the weekend with friends. At the very least, we’ll have some time to work on figuring all of this out, and hopefully before the dance on Saturday night.

I ignore the rest of the comments and finally finish eating, then start clearing the table. Her parents disappear into their room, and I sigh in relief. I didn’t know how much more I could take. I don’t know how she does it.

She’s eighteen. She doesn’t have to stay here. Once I’m in my own body again, I’m going to talk to my mom and see if she would be up for Robin living with us instead. I know it’s a big step, but once she hears how it is for Robin, I feel like she’s going to be sympathetic. I can iron out the problematic details later.

Maddox stalks off to his room to be angry. Austin stays, though, and helps me clear the table. When we’re done, he hugs me. “I think you’re really pretty, Robin,” he murmurs, smiling up at me. “Thanks for helping with my homework, and for making dinner.”

There’s a lump in my throat as I answer. “Thanks, Austin. And you’re welcome. Go relax a little before bed, okay?”

“Okay.”

He turns and skips off. I stand there for a moment, wondering if Robin would even want to leave. She’s probably worried about what would happen to her brothers if she left. And they’re minors. We couldn’t just take them away from her parents.

Still, I’m going to talk to her about it. She needs something better than this. She deserves something better than this.

I finish her chores, then head to her room and flop onto the bed with a sigh. There’s still a few hours before I can head back over and climb through my window. I pull out her phone.

_You okay over there?_

She answers right away. _Yeah. We had dinner, and I’m helping Pearl with her homework._

_I helped your brothers with theirs._

_Thank you._

There’s a pause, then the three dots appear again.

_Was it… okay?_

I sigh again. I don’t want to lie to her. So I don’t.

_You didn’t tell me how bad it was, babe. I didn’t say anything, but I wanted to._

Another pause. Then she texts, _I know._

_We’ll talk about it later. I’ll see you soon, okay?_

_I can’t wait. I love you._

_I love you too._

I sit up and look around, thinking about what to do. We should have swapped homework, but I didn’t think about that earlier with everything else that was going on.

I text her again. _We should have swapped homework. Do you want me to take a crack at yours?_

_No offense, but no._ I laugh. _I thought we’d sign ourselves out tomorrow so we can work on this whole, you know, thing._

I nod. We both have that privilege, we just don’t use it often. I was surprised my parents let me keep it after my little stunt, but I’d had so many appointments and stuff to go to that it was just easier.

_That’s a good idea_, I type back. _Then we can catch up on homework over the weekend._

_Yeah. Just try and relax. If you can._

_I will._

I look around, again, even more unsure about what to do now. Her room’s clean. I look down at myself and wonder if I should pick out some more comfortable clothes. She’s usually wearing something different when she comes to see me.

I open her closet and look around. She doesn’t have much, but everything is neat and organized. I don’t look inside the garment bag hanging to the side. I know that’s her dress for Saturday, and I want to keep it a surprise.

I’m looking through everything else when I notice a shoebox on one shelf. All her shoes are lined up at the bottom of the closet, though. Maybe these are special? I wonder if they match the dress, but she didn’t say anything about new shoes, so I pull it down and open it.

At first, it just looks like an unrelated assortment of stuff. But I know there must be a theme, because she’s definitely not the type to have a miscellaneous junk box.

I fish a few folded pieces of notebook paper out of the bottom, sitting down on her bed, setting the box beside me and flattening out the paper. I smile as I instantly realize what the theme I was missing is.

It’s me.

These are the notes I wrote to her that first day we spent together in Saturday detention.

I put the box on my lap and look through the rest of the objects inside. I find the top of the baseball trophy I snapped in half the first day we spent in my room. I didn’t even realize she’d grabbed it. The receipt from the first time I took her to the diner. The Sharpie I used to write on her arm at school that day at lunch. My mom’s lasagna recipe, written neatly on a notecard.

At the very bottom of the box, I find a bunch of newspaper articles clipped together. I flip through them, realizing they’re all about me. Most of them are from before we really talked and are about my football triumphs.

Then there’s one about my accident with something else attached to it. It’s a receipt for a stuffed bear from the hospital gift shop.

I bite my lip. I never realized she came to visit me in the hospital. I was unconscious for a while after each surgery, and I was asleep a lot otherwise.

I wanted to throw everything people had got for me away, but I know my mom boxed it up and kept it all. I’ll have to find the bear later.

It touches me that she’s been keeping some of these things for so long, and that she’s kept the others at all. She cherishes our relationship so much, and that means more to me than I could possibly say.

I put everything back in the box and slip it back into the closet. It’s dark out now, and I’ll be able to leave soon. As awkward as this has been, I’m glad to have this glimpse into her life, and I’ve decided that there are a few other things I should experience as her before we’re switched back. It’s only fair that I understand exactly what she goes through when we’re together and when we’re apart.

I owe her that much, I think.


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and Robin experiment with a few other things while their bodies are swapped.

**Jason**

I slip through my window at the earliest time possible, grabbing Robin’s hands so she can help pull me in. I immediately hug her tightly, standing on my tiptoes to kiss her.

“It is so weird being taller than you,” she admits.

I laugh. “Yeah. It feels wrong, huh?”

We go and lay down on the bed. When I’m not looking in the mirror or staring at her, it’s easy to imagine that I’m still me. But it’s hard when I’m looking right at myself.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” she asks.

I nod. “I’m fine, Robin,” I reply, rubbing my nose over hers. “It’s you I’m worried about. Is it always that bad?”

“You probably got off pretty easy, actually, if there was no yelling,” she admits.

“There wasn’t,” I confirm, sighing. “You’re eighteen, Robin. You could leave. I know you don’t have any money, but if you could stay here, with me… would you?”

She blinks at me, her eyes wide. “Live with… you? Here, Jason?”

I nod. “Yeah. I could talk to my mom. I’m sure she’d be sympathetic, babe. And I don’t want you to have to live like that. I want you to be happy.”

She nods back. “It’s just… my brothers. I know that my parents are planning to make me leave once the school year is over, Jason. They think that supporting their kids past the age of eighteen is freeloading. But until then…”

“I get it. They were really sweet, by the way. Maddox stood up for you, and Austin comforted you after dinner.”

She smiles. “Did Maddox get in trouble?” she wonders.

“No, he shut up before it got too bad,” I answer. “You’re sure he doesn’t know about everything? I know you told me before that he doesn’t.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t think so. I don’t know who would have told him, besides me. I think he’s just gotten into that rebellious teenage phase, you know? He’s recognized their flaws and doesn’t want to put up with them anymore.”

“If you want to stay, I understand,” I tell her. “But when we switch back, I want you to invite me over, okay? I’m not going to let you do that alone. My monitor comes off after Christmas, and I will be there for you as often as I can.”

She snuggles closer and puts her arms around me, then puts her head under my chin. I hug her back as she says, “Normally I’d argue, Jason, but all right. I’d like that.”

“Good.”

I kiss her temple. I know she’s not putting up much of a fight because she’s feeling extra vulnerable right now. But if it means she’s more protected later on, I’ll take it.

“I found your box too,” I whisper. “I was looking for other clothes in your closet.”

She stiffens, then shifts a bit closer to me. “Oh,” she murmurs, her voice muffled against my chest.

I like that even though we’re in different bodies, the way we hold each other hasn’t changed.

“I think it’s sweet, Robin,” I assure her, rubbing her back. “I, uh, didn’t know you visited me in the hospital. You brought me something?”

“I did. A little bear holding a balloon that said get well soon. You were asleep. I just sat with you and held your hand and talked to you. Until a few other kids from school showed up. I snuck out after that.”

“What did you say? Do you remember?” I ask.

“Of course I do.” She moves her head so I can hear her more easily. “I told you that I hoped you got better soon, and not because of football. I told you that you didn’t deserve getting hurt over a silly prank. And I told you that we’d talk one day soon.”

I bend down and kiss her. “Thank you, Robin,” I murmur.

I press closer, deepening the kiss. My hands automatically move to run up and down her sides, but it’s a distinctly odd feeling since her sides are actually mine.

For a moment, she kisses me back just as eagerly. Then I feel her try to scoot back, only failing because my hands tighten on her.

“Robin, what’s wrong?”

Then her hips dig into mine and I feel it. She is… very aroused. And since she’s in my body, it’s very obvious.

I take a deep breath, then pull her closer to me. “It’s okay, Robin,” I assure her.

“How do you do this?” she wonders. “This thing has just been insistent all day.”

I laugh. It comes out more like a giggle in her voice. “Now you know why I always jump you every chance I get,” I tease.

She laughs too. “It’s not like I don’t want it too, but it’s a lot easier to hide.”

“Hard to disagree. It gets wet in your panties, though.”

She punches me lightly and we both start laughing again. I silence her by kissing her once more, rolling on top of her and pinning her down, grinding my hips against her.

“Jason,” she wonders breathlessly, “what are you…?”

“We could be switched back tomorrow, Robin,” I remind her. “Before that happens, I want to know what it feels like for you when we… make love.”

She swallows nervously. “I’m not sure I know what to do, Jason,” she admits.

“Then let’s do exactly what we did the first time we were together, Robin,” I suggest. “We can help each other.”

“All right.”

We move slowly, even slower than we did that first night. It’s strange to be stimulating parts of my body from outside of it, especially when we get to ways I’ve never been able to try before. Even I’m not flexible enough to put my mouth on myself.

And when I finally maneuver her inside of me, I’m shocked at how different it feels from the other way around. It’s still good, I realize. Just very different from being on the other side of it.

We make sure to be quiet so we’re not caught. Normally we wouldn’t attempt this in my room at night when my parents are home, but like I said, we might not have another chance.

When we’re finished, I cuddle up and hold her from behind. “Thank you, Robin.”

She laughs. “Pretty sure I should be thanking you. I feel a lot better.”

I kiss the back of her neck. “Get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be busy.”

She yawns. “Yeah, probably.”

I close my eyes and rest my head against her neck, finally relaxing enough to go to sleep.

**Robin**

I roll over, squinting as I realize that sunlight is streaming through the windows. I open one eye when I hear my voice. Jason must still be here.

He is, and he is struggling to get my bra back on.

I start to laugh, swinging out of bed, keeping the sheet around myself. “Need some help?” I ask.

“Please,” he begs.

I hold out my hand. “Throw it here.”

He obliges. “Watch my trick,” I instruct.

He watches, fascinated as I show him how to clip the bra on backward and then turn it around. I wink at him. “My bra on your body doing anything for you?” I tease, blushing as I remember last night.

It was certainly interesting to be on the other side of the whole sex thing. It was good to know how he felt when I did things, and to see how much pressure was on him to perform since he was the man in the situation.

I was frankly surprised that he wanted to duplicate everything we’d done. He’s very open-minded, and the sweetest man I could hope to find, I think.

Still, I’d like to be back in my own body soon, especially since last night showed me that I actually prefer it that way.

His chuckle brings me back to the present. “Maybe.”

I throw the bra back to him. He puts it on easily this time and sighs in relief. “I’ll be back as soon as everyone’s left the house.”

She nods. “My brothers get breakfast and lunch at school, so just make sure they have everything they need for the day. They’re going home with friends. I’ll text everyone else and tell them our plans and see which of them can join us.”

“You’re the best, babe.” He leans down and kisses me. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

He goes out the window and I go to get ready for the day. I do my best with Jason’s hair. At least getting dressed is easy.

When I get out to the kitchen, I’m shocked when Beverly sits me down and sets a plate of food in front of me. Bacon, eggs, toast. Everything is steaming and smells delicious.

I can’t remember the last time someone made breakfast for me. For a moment, I’m too stunned to say anything. But by the time she comes back with a glass of orange juice, I manage to say, “Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie.” She looks critically at my hair. “Are you okay? Your hair’s a little messed up.”

I quickly think of an excuse. “Just nervous, I think. About the, uh, dance this weekend.” I pause. “Thanks, by the way. For getting special permission for me to go with the, uh, cops.”

“You’ve done so well, sweetie. You’ve been on your best behavior, and I think you deserve to go. I’m just glad they were willing to be lenient. I’m excited for when you can have it off. You need to be able to get out of the house more than this. Especially since detention on Saturday doesn’t really count.”

I laugh. “Yeah. It’s not so bad, though. I met Robin there.”

The thought comes naturally. It’s just what I know Jason would say.

Beverly hugs me briefly. “Aw,” she coos, kissing my forehead. “I’m so glad you found her, Jason. She’s good for you.” She pats my shoulder. “Eat, honey. Then I’ll help you fix your hair.”

I do what she says, feeling more refreshed than usual when I’m able to catch up to Jason. He smiles and nods at my hair. “Wasn’t sure you could figure that out,” he admits.

“I didn’t,” I confess. “Your mom did it for me.”

He laughs. “Wow. The last time she did my hair for me was earlier this year, and that was only because of the accident.” He slips his arm around my waist and leans against me. “What’s up with the others?”

“All meeting us at the ship. Billy thinks he found something.”

“That’s good. We need to get this taken care of as soon as possible.”

“Tell me about it. We managed pretty well, but I don’t know about the others. I’m sure everyone is frustrated. And, as fun as the experiment has been, I think we’re all eager to be back in our own bodies.”

He nods. “Yeah. Everything back to normal would be nice.”

“Normal for us, anyway,” I laugh.

We stop at the diner, grabbing coffee and walking leisurely while we drink it. Once we’re done, we break out into a run as we head for the mountain.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rangers find the solution to their body swap problem.

**Robin**

We’re the last to arrive at the ship. Everyone is clearly frustrated, like I thought. So, instead of focusing on pleasantries, I decide to dive right in. “Billy, you said you found something?”

Billy nods. I know he must be having the worst time out of all of us. He’s in Kimberly’s body. He’s uncomfortable enough in his own, much less someone else’s. Much less a girl’s. Much less a popular girl’s. And Kimberly’s parents aren’t used to dealing with someone autistic, so he’s probably having to hide all of his usual habits and coping mechanisms.

“I got my mom to let Kimberly… well, me… spend the night. Thankfully, she knows I’m not into people romantically, so she doesn’t care, and Kimberly’s parents don’t seem to notice her much. I was showing her the device I’m using to search for the green Power Coin, and it picked something up. It’s too big to be the coin, but it’s near the mountain, and it wasn’t there until yesterday. We were thinking it might be connected to whatever’s happening.”

“Great job, Billy,” Jason chimes in. “We should go check it out right away.”

“Yes, please,” Zack begs. “Trini’s parents are the worst, dude. I get, like, no privacy at all.”

“Tell me about it,” Trini mutters, leaning against the wall, clearly not feeling right in Zack’s long, lanky frame.

“Lead the way, Billy,” Jason offers.

We follow him, climbing further up the mountain’s face. His signal leads us to a cave. We go inside carefully, stopping when we reach an object standing on a natural rock pedestal.

It looks like a genie’s lamp. It’s also protected by some sort of shimmering black forcefield. We all look at each other, uncertain about what to do.

Finally, Jason activates his communicator. “Zordon, are you seeing this?” he asks. “I’m sending the image back to you.”

“I see it, Jason,” Zordon responds. “Now I know what’s going on. While the monster Rita had wield it is unfamiliar to me, that lamp is not. It is a very potent object capable of granting wishes. But it must be tied to the user in order for it to work. If you kill the monster, the forcefield will deactivate and free the lamp, resetting the wish it has granted and leaving it for you to use or destroy.”

“So if we find the monster, we all go back to our bodies?” Kimberly asks.

“I believe so, yes,” Zordon confirms.

“So how do we get the monster here?” Billy asks.

Trini shrugs. “Like this, I bet.” She steps forward and kicks the forcefield. It pulses, but doesn’t hurt her. “Come on,” she urges the rest of us. “Help me.”

Kimberly and Zack are more than happy to oblige. Billy, Jason, and I hang back, checking outside of the cave for any signs of the monster.

There’s a loud crack, and then a screech. “Who threatens my lamp?” the voice says.

“There’s our guy,” Jason observes. “Come on. Let’s go meet him.”

We all step out of the cave to face the monster. “If you’re going to mess with my lamp,” he threatens, “I’ll have to take you down, just like my mistress wants.”

“Rangers,” Zordon speaks through the communicator, “he’s too strong to take down without morphing. Use your weapons.”

“We hear you, Zordon,” Jason replies. His eyes shine with a confidence that it’s so odd to see on my face. “It’s morphing time!”

Our armor creeps up from our feet over our legs, torsos, and arms before locking into place. Our weapons appear in our hands, but I immediately realize one of the problems with the body swap in terms of fighting.

We’ve all been training with our own weapons, not anyone else’s.

“Zordon, can we trade weapons?” I wonder.

“I’m afraid not, Robin,” he replies. “The weapons and Zords are tied to the Power Coins, which are attuned to your bodies. No matter who’s in them, that still applies.”

“It’s a problem we could work on,” Alpha offers, “but not that fast.”

Something occurs to me, but I don’t have time to think about it right now. We have to fight.

“Just do your best,” Jason orders. “We take this guy down and this won’t be a problem anymore.”

We all jump into action, but it’s clumsy, and we don’t make much headway. When we’ve all hit the ground at least once, Jason decides to change tactics.

“All right, give each other instructions!” he commands. “We can’t fight with our own weapons, but we can tell each other how to!” He demonstrates immediately. “Robin, rush him with the sword and then go in low for an upward slash.”

I do what he says. I still feel strange in his body. I’m too tall, so my center of gravity is off, and all of my limbs are too long. But I still manage, and the monster falls to the ground.

“Jump it, Zack!” Trini yells. “Both daggers to the chest!”

Zack leaps into action. “Billy!” Kimberly adds. “Use the bow to pin its arms!”

It takes Billy a few shots, but he hits his targets as Zack flips out of danger. “Jason, pin it with the staff! The chest!” I go next.

“Kim, help him! Split the lance and hold it down!” Billy stammers.

“And then Trin can go in for the kill with the axe!” Zack decides.

Jason and Kim both move in, pinning the monster to the ground. Trini goes around them and brings the axe down on its neck.

There’s a bright blast of light, an agonized cry of pain, and a loud pop from the cave. Suddenly, I’m back in my body, standing at the entrance of the cave, holding my staff.

“Holy shit, it worked!” Trini hollers. “I never thought I would be so glad to be short.”

We all laugh, letting our weapons and suits melt away since we no longer need our powers right now. I immediately stand up a little straighter and grimace.

“Jason, you put my bra on way too tight,” I whine.

“Is that why it was so uncomfortable?” he asks sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

“Yes!”

I wriggle as I fix it without revealing anything as everyone continues to laugh. Jason immediately grabs me and leans down to give me a kiss. “Mmm,” he hums. “That’s better.” He kisses me one more time and grins. “See? Good thing we tried last night. We wouldn’t have gotten another chance.”

“Jason!” I squeak, hiding my face in his chest.

“Wait. Did you guys have sex while you were in each other’s bodies?” Kimberly asks shrilly.

“Maybe,” I answer, my voice muffled against him.

Everyone starts laughing all over again. When Billy finally catches his breath, he reminds us, “Guys. We have to get the lamp.”

“Right,” Jason agrees. “Let’s go. We can’t let Rita get it again, or allow anyone else to have it.”

We go back into the cave. Jason picks up the lamp and studies it. “It looks pretty ordinary,” he observes. “Let’s get it back to Zordon.”

Soon, we’re standing in the ship showing the lamp to Zordon. “What do we do with it?” Jason asks.

“That is up to you, Jason, since you’re the leader of the Rangers. We can keep it here for a time of need, or we can absorb it into the morphing grid and destroy it, ensuring no one can use its power ever again.”

“Well, I’m not just going to decide myself,” Jason protests. “Everyone gets a say. What do you guys think?”

“I say we destroy it,” says Trini.

“And anything else we find after it,” Kimberly adds.

“Yeah, the last thing we need is a super secret vault of evil objects that a bad guy could just hijack,” Zack points out.

“Affirmative.” Billy smiles. “I’m glad we’re all on the same page.”

“I think that’s a great idea.” I squeeze Jason’s arm and look up at him. “What do you say, fearless leader?”

Jason nods. “Absolutely. What do I do, Zordon?”

“Set it on one of the grid spots, Jason.”

Jason does. The lamp slowly starts to glow, and then it vanishes without a trace.

“I am very proud of the choice you all made, Rangers. Many things in the galaxy are far too dangerous to use for ourselves, despite the powers that they have. I’m glad that you have enough wisdom to realize that, even for ones so young. I think you deserve some rest.”

“Yes! You have a dance to go to tomorrow, don’t you?” Alpha asks.

Kimberly laughs. “Yes. Yes, we do. Why don’t we all grab something to eat and then go home?”

We say goodbye to Alpha and Zordon, then head out of the mountain. As we walk back down it, not needing to rush anymore, I retrieve the thought I’d had earlier before the battle.

“You know what she was trying to do, right, guys?”

“Rita, you mean?” Trini clarifies.

“Yeah.” I pause. “She’s trying to defeat us the only way she can think of. She’s trying to throw us off balance, because she thinks it will make us weaker.”

“But it didn’t work,” Jason points out gently. “As long as we stay together as a team, and as friends, she can’t divide us. No matter what she does.”

“Jason’s right,” Billy agrees. “We did it once before. We did it today. We can do it again.”

“Definitely,” Kimberly chimes in.

“100%,” Zack echoes. “You guys are the greatest.”

At the bottom of the mountain, we all hug and I smile. My friends are right. No matter what happens next, we’ll all face it together.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rangers go to a school dance and Jason asks Robin a very important question.

**Jason**

I frown at myself in the mirror, trying to get my bow tie straight. I sigh in frustration as I mess it up yet again.

Then my mom laughs from the doorway. “Need some help, Jason?”

I nod. “Yeah, Mom. Please.”

I turn so she can help me. As she expertly ties the bow tie, she says, “You look so handsome.”

I blush. “Thanks, Mom.” I lick my lips and glance at myself in the mirror, then stare down at my shoes as she finishes. “Um, Mom, can I, uh, ask you a few things?”

I decided to get ready early since I didn’t know how long it would take, so I have some time before Robin arrives. And there are a few things I can’t get out of my mind that my mom might be able to help me with.

“Of course, sweetie. Ask me anything.” She pats my shoulder. “Tie’s all done. Why don’t we sit for a second?”

I sit on my bed and she sits next to me. I take a deep breath before my first question. “You and Dad met in high school. How did you know that he was, uh… the one?”

Her answering smile is brilliant. She puts an arm around me and squeezes, being careful not to wrinkle my shirt. My jacket is still hanging up in my closet. “You’re really serious about Robin, aren’t you?” she asks quietly. “I mean, I knew you were already, but.”

I nod. “Yeah. I just, um. Well. There’s something I want to ask her, and I know people are going to think it’s weird because we’re so young.”

My mom grabs my chin and turns my face so I’m looking directly at her. She’s beaming from ear to ear. “Wait here a second, okay?”

“Okay.”

She leaves and I look around. My eyes land on the stuffed polar bear on my nightstand. It’s the one Robin gave me in the hospital. It’s holding a stuffed blue balloon that says get well soon on it in cursive letters. My mom helped me find it this morning.

When she comes back, she sits down again and holds a little box out to me. She opens it and I see a beautiful ring inside. I smile when I see that the bigger stone is purple, and the two smaller stones beside it are red.

“This was your grandmother’s, Jason,” she explains. “I was her only child, so she saved this ring for you. She always said that men gave rings and women got them.” We both laugh before she continues. “Anyway, I promised her I would save this for you until you found the right woman, and well, Jason… I think you have. I know it will be hard for people to accept because you’re so young, but only you know your feelings.”

“Really, Mom?” I scratch the back of my neck. “I kind of thought even you would freak out a bit when I told you I want to ask her to marry me. I mean, we wouldn’t get married right away, of course, but.”

“Oh, sweetie. I knew that you were going to ask her the second you brought her home. You and your dad have one thing in common, and that’s loyalty. I know that the two of us fight sometimes and that must make you think we made some kind of mistake, but we didn’t. Everyone has fights sometimes in relationships, especially when stressful things are going on. What you need is someone you know you can talk those things out with. Someone who will be there even when times get tough. I know you’re that kind of person, Jason. And I think Robin is too.”

I nod. “She is.” I rub my knee. “I just want her to have something to look forward to, Mom. I told you what it’s like with her parents.”

I’d told her all about it this morning while I’d helped her look for the hospital stuff.

“I know, sweetie. I’ve been thinking about what you asked. I still have to talk to your dad, of course, but if she needs a place to stay, we will take her in. If she doesn’t want to leave yet because of her brothers, whenever she needs a break, she can come here. And they can too. I’ll help you two figure out anything you need to, okay?”

“Thanks, Mom. I mean it. I know this is all a little fast for you guys, especially when I’ve never even had a serious girlfriend before.”

“All you need is one, Jason.” She smiles. “I know I never answered your question. Not really. I wish I had a more concrete answer for you. All I can tell you is that when you know, you know. And it really doesn’t matter how old you are. Just know, Jason, that all I want is for you to be happy. I don’t care how it happens, as long as you’re safe. And ever since Robin, you’ve been happier and safer than I’ve ever seen you.”

She closes the box and puts the ring in my hand, then kisses my cheek. “I love you, sweetie. And I love her too.”

I’m bright red now. Robin is going to notice that something is up if I don’t calm down before she gets here. “Thanks, Mom. For… everything. I know it’s been hard since my accident.”

“I’m just glad you’re all right, Jason,” she says sincerely. “You are going to be just fine. I know it.”

The doorbell rings and I stand, grabbing my jacket. I put the ring in my pocket as I swing the jacket on, then hug my mom. “Do I look okay?” I wonder.

“Always, sweetie. Go get her. Have fun, okay?” She hesitates for a moment. “Oh, and uh, you know. Be… safe.”

“Oh.” I laugh as I realize what she means. “Yeah, Mom, we… we are. I promise.”

“Good.” Now she’s the one blushing. “Don’t keep Robin waiting. I’m taking Pearl to her friend’s and staying the night there since your dad’s on the boat tonight. Adult sleepover.”

“I get it, Mom. We’ll be alone and we’ll be careful.”

“Right.” The doorbell rings again and my mom shoos me away. “Go, Jason. Go, go!”

I laugh and jog to the front door, opening it. I stop in my tracks as I see Robin standing on the doorstep. She smiles at me and laughs lightly. “What took you so long, Scott?”

I can’t even answer her at first. Her dress is gorgeous. It’s purple and sparkly and hugs her in all the right places. She starts to blush shyly as she realizes that I’m just staring at her.

I swallow and smile at her. “You’re so beautiful, Robin,” I tell her, holding out my hand for her to take.

She grabs it and squeezes. “You look nice too,” she returns the compliment.

At that moment, Kim drives up. She honks the horn and Trini hollers at us out of the window. “Come on, lovebirds! We’re going to be late.”

“Let’s go,” I urge, wrapping my arm around her and leading her to their car.

We hop into the back and Kim starts to drive. I squeeze Robin tightly and kiss her cheek. “Sorry my truck isn’t fixed yet,” I apologize.

She snorts. “Yeah, it’s not like we’ve been busy or anything.” She glances at Kim. “Are we picking up Billy too?” she asks.

Kim nods. “Yeah. He’s going to stay for a while, at least. Maybe not the whole time, but we didn’t want him to skip out entirely.”

We stop and pick him up, then head to the school. It feels sort of lame considering that we were here literally all day today already, but at least this time it’s for something fun.

I lift Robin down from the car and lead her inside. It’s become very obvious at school that we’re a couple, but this is the first time we’ve gone to a big public event together. It’s also the first time Kimberly and Trini are going anywhere as a couple, so it’s bound to be an interesting evening.

As we walk through the door, all of the talking stops and everyone turns to look at all of us for a moment. Kimberly and Trini are holding hands, and Robin is clinging to my side.

The song playing over the speakers changes and suddenly everyone goes back to what they were doing before. We all move inside and stake out a little corner of the dance floor. I swing Robin into my arms, content to rock her back and forth while she’s pressed against me.

Kimberly and Trini are a little awkward at first, but as they dance and no one bothers them, they relax. Billy sits at the nearby table with Zack, who showed up about thirty minutes after we did. Billy is concentrating on something on his phone, and Zack just watches.

It becomes apparent to all of us after about an hour that coming here was sort of silly. It’s not really a big deal, and it’s not all that fun either.

“Do you guys wanna get out of here?” I suggest.

“Hell yes!” Trini agrees.

So that’s how we end up on the mountain, having a bonfire like we did on a night that feels like it was so long ago. Kimberly and Trini thought ahead and brought a cooler full of hot dogs and stuff for s’mores in the back of the car.

We all hang out, eating in our fancy clothes, just laughing and having a good time.

Eventually, Billy wanders off to check something with Zordon. Zack goes with him, wanting to search for more hidden tech along the way. He’s convinced that other significant objects are still hidden in the area. Kimberly and Trini lay down on a blanket to look at the stars.

Craving some privacy, I take Robin’s hand and we walk up to the ridge. Once we’re there, we stand and look out at the city. I wrap my arms around her from behind and press my cheek against hers.

“Did you like the dance?” I wonder softly.

She shrugs. “I liked spending time with you. But I can do that anywhere.”

I smile. “Yeah.” I pause. “My mom said you can stay with us. Whenever you need to. Your brothers too.”

She turns her head enough to look at me. “That’s very sweet of her, Jason.”

“She means it,” I explain, reaching into my pocket. This is my moment. “She already thinks of you as family. And so do I.”

Robin snuggles back into my arms. I can tell the sentiment has made her happy. So I open the ring box and hold it up enough so she can see it.

She looks at me in surprise. “Jason, where did you get this?”

Her fingers graze it gently as I explain. “It was my grandmother’s. Weird, right? It’s us. Put together. And that’s exactly what I want, Robin. You and me together forever.”

She turns in my arms and I look down at her, smiling. “Ask me, Jason,” she murmurs. “Say the words.”

I grin at her eagerness. Her big hazel eyes are shining, and her arms are tight around me. I lean down and rub my nose over hers. “Marry me, Robin?” I whisper.

She’s on her tiptoes kissing me before I can even finish asking the question. I laugh and kiss her back, lifting her and spinning her around.

“Yes, Jason,” she answers clearly. “I’ll marry you.”

When I set her down, I slip the ring onto her finger. It fits perfectly. It’s like we were always meant to find each other.

Once it’s on, I put the box back into my pocket, then lift her again, kissing her and holding her close to me.

I feel like the luckiest man in the world. I don’t know how I keep getting these moments with her, but I never want them to end.

She kisses me over and over, then breathes, “I love you, Jason.”

“I love you too, Robin. I love you too.”


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin’s acceptance of Jason’s proposal has some unexpected consequences.

**Robin**

The rest of the weekend passes far too quickly. On Monday morning, I stand in the bathroom at home, admiring my ring.

I know I should take it off so my parents don’t see it. They are not going to be okay with this development at all.

But I don’t want to take it off. Because Jason Scott wants to marry me, and that’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Which is pretty amazing, considering that I’m a superhero.

So I take a deep breath and head out to the kitchen, leaving it on for them both to see.

It’s a few minutes before either of them notice it, since I pack my brothers’ lunches while I make their breakfast. When I serve it, though, it’s impossible to miss the shiny silver band and glittering gemstones.

“What is that?” my mother asks shrilly.

I smile. “It’s my engagement ring,” I answer succinctly. “Jason Scott asked me to marry him this weekend, and I said yes.”

My mother immediately starts laughing. She’s never believed that Jason and I are dating, no matter how many people around town have said it.

My stepfather, though, is stonily silent. After a moment, my mother’s laughter dies down as she notices.

Then he rises from the table and moves over to me, stepping forward until I’m trapped in the corner of the counter with him directly in front of me.

“This had better be some kind of sick joke,” he murmurs. “You are not going to give this family the reputation of having a teenage slut in it.”

Before, this would have scared me. But now, I’m a Power Ranger. And I know that Jason loves me, that his mother and sister love me, and that my friends love me. None of them would ever let anything happen to me.

So I finally step up and defend myself after years of just doing what they say and taking their abuse. “I’m not a slut,” I answer firmly. “And you’re not my family.”

My brothers have just come into the kitchen. Austin’s mouth falls open in shock as he hears me. Maddox just looks excited.

My stepfather’s hand moves. Right before it connects with my face, I reach up and grab it. As much as I want to hurt him as payback, I remember to control my strength enough to just stop him. Then I push him back enough so I can step out from against the counter.

“You will not ever try to touch me like that again,” I say decisively. “You will leave me and my brothers alone from now on. In fact, you’re going to leave Angel Grove entirely.”

“You can’t make me do that,” he sneers.

“I can,” I disagree, “by telling everyone your secrets. You’re worried about your reputation if I marry Jason? What about when everyone in town finds out about how you met through an affair? How you both cheated on your spouses for each other? How you ran away to escape the stigma? Not to mention how you treat us at home.”

“I’ve never hit any of you,” he protests.

“You just tried,” I point out, “and laying your hands on someone isn’t the only way to abuse them. Go away. Both of you. You’re free. You don’t want to take care of us anyway. So live your life somewhere else. I’ll take care of my brothers and you don’t ever have to worry about them again.”

“And who’s going to take care of you?” my mother finally chimes in. “Jason Scott?”

“Yes,” Jason says.

I look to the side in surprise. I hadn’t even heard him come in. He must have gotten here early to pick me up for school and come inside when he listened to what was happening.

My mother goes pale and glances at me. “You’re really with him?” she wonders. For the first time in my life, she actually looks impressed with me. Then she remembers Jason’s fallen status and shrugs. “I suppose he had to scrape the bottom of the barrel after his accident.”

Jason shakes his head. “That’s not it at all,” he disagrees. “Robin is the most amazing person I’ve ever met, and I love her. And I will take care of her. And Maddox and Austin. I don’t care what I have to do to do it.”

He drops his bag and moves to me quickly, tucking me into his side and glaring at my parents. “Be gone when we get home from school,” he instructs. “Whether you’re staying with a friend or at a hotel. Whatever. I don’t care. Just don’t be here until we get their things and get them out.”

“We bought them those things. They’re ours,” my stepfather snaps, still trying to gain the upper hand.

“They’re ours,” I respond, “that you bought to take care of us. We’re taking them. And you don’t get to argue.”

He’s about to talk back again when my mother grabs his arm. “It’s our chance,” she mutters. “It’ll be just us. No more baggage.”

I bristle at the reference to us as baggage. But I’ll take it if it gets me what I want.

“Fine,” he spits. “If you say one word to anyone…”

“I won’t,” I interrupt him. “Now get out of here. Let us get ready alone.”

They grab their things, leaving their breakfast untouched on the table, and leave right away. As soon as they’re gone, I let out a shaky breath and look up at Jason with apologetic eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Jason,” I stammer. “I… I didn’t take the ring off… I was proud of it and I didn’t care if they saw. And then he tried to hit me and I just…”

I trail off and Jason looks at me, his muscles tight. He frowns. “He tried to hit you?”

I nod and he pulls me close, hugging me tight. “You don’t have anything to apologize for, Robin,” he assures me fiercely. “I want everyone to know that we’re together, and I don’t care what I have to do to take care of you. I’ll do it. And you know my mom already made the offer to take in all three of you.”

“I’m going to help, Jason, obviously.”

He smiles. “I know.”

Then I look at my brothers. “Are you guys okay?” I swallow and go to both of them, hugging them just as tightly as Jason hugged me. “I’m so sorry you had to hear and see that.”

“It’s okay, Robin,” Maddox tells me. “It was the right thing to do. I’m sorry you’ve had to take care of us for so long.”

“I’ve never regretted taking care of you guys. And I’m going to keep doing it. All right?”

“Thanks, Robin.” Austin hugs me a little tighter. “We’ll be good for you, okay?”

“I know you will.” I pull back and look at them both. “Do you guys want to stay home today? Get things packed up?”

“Um…” Maddox looks around sheepishly. “I guess we should…”

Austin nods, but he’s biting his lip, and I laugh. “You both want to go to school, huh?”

“Yeah,” they say in accidental unison, then both laugh too.

“Then go,” I decide. “I will take care of everything here. Promise.”

“Are we coming here after school?” Austin asks.

I nod. “Jason and I will meet you and walk you to his house, okay?” I kiss both of their foreheads. “I love you guys.”

“We love you too, Robin!” Austin yells, running out the door.

“Uh, yeah,” Maddox says. “What he said.”

Then he’s gone too. I smile for a moment, and then turn back to Jason. “It’s kind of sinking in how big of a thing I’ve done,” I murmur. “I don’t even have any money, Jason.”

“We will worry about all of that later, Robin. For now, let’s call out of school for the day. I’ll let my mom know what’s going on and then we’ll get this place packed up, all right?”

I nod, glancing around as Jason pulls out his phone. He only talks to his mom for a few minutes and then he hangs up. “She’s on her way over,” he announces. “She’s going to help.”

Suddenly, I feel like I’m going to cry. I’m in Jason’s arms before I can even say anything at all.

“Go ahead,” he murmurs. “Just let it out.”

I start to sob into his chest. He holds me tight, and no matter how scared I feel, I know that everything’s going to be okay.

**Jason**

I rub Robin’s back, letting her calm down. I know this is not how she expected her morning to go, but I’m glad. She’ll be so much safer and happier with me, and her brothers will be too.

“Jason? Robin?” my mom calls. “I’m coming in.”

“We’re in the kitchen, Mom,” I call back.

Robin takes a deep breath, trying to pull herself together. When my mom comes in, though, she starts to cry all over again.

“I’m so sorry, Beverly. This is so much to ask of you, and on such short notice. I…”

“You shush right now,” my mom admonishes her, pulling her into another hug. “I am so glad that you finally stood up for yourself and that you’re going to be safe with us.”

Robin shakes her head. “I don’t have any money. I don’t have a job. I…”

My mom shakes her head right back. “We will work all of that out. You can help in other ways, honey. I know that you’re eighteen, but you’re still just a kid. You don’t have to bear the weight of everything on your shoulders.”

I come over and hug both of them at the same time. My mom starts to distract Robin with logistics. “Your brothers can share our guest room. And you can share Jason’s.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I murmur.

She nods. “I know you’ll behave responsibly,” she teases.

“We will,” I promise.

Robin nods and finally lifts her head. “Okay,” she says, pulling back and wiping at her eyes. “I’m fine now.”

“I will go and get the house ready as much as I can. I’ll need some help getting the old furniture out of the guest room, though. Why don’t you two work over here so you can spend as little time here as possible?”

“Great plan, Mom. We’ll get started.”

“Here.” She reaches into her wallet and hands me some cash. “In case you guys need boxes or anything like that.”

“Do we need any furniture, Beverly?” Robin asks.

“Just bring anything they would want,” my mom replies. “I’m going to get some bunk beds set up for them.”

“Thank you,” Robin murmurs, clearly starting to get overwhelmed again.

“Once I get what I need, I’ll drive the SUV back over to get anything you guys pack up, all right?”

“Sure thing, Mom. I’ll text you if anything comes up.”

“Relax, both of you,” she says, kissing Robin’s forehead and then mine. “Everything’s going to be all right, okay?”

Then she’s gone, off on a mission. I keep Robin in my arms for another moment. “Can I convince you to eat something first?” I ask her. “I’m worried about you, babe.”

“I’d rather just get this done, Jason. I don’t want it hanging over us.”

I nod. “All right. We can handle that. Do you have boxes, or do we need to get some?”

“I have a lot. I’ve been buying a few each time I go to the store for after graduation. They’re in the garage. I didn’t say no to your mom’s money in case we need more, though.”

I follow her to the garage and we grab all the supplies. “Let’s start in my room,” she suggests. “Then we’ll work our way through everywhere else.”

“I’ll build the boxes so you can label them,” I offer. “And then you can hand me whatever you want in them?”

“That sounds like a good plan.” She smiles and squeezes my hand, then kisses me quickly. “I love you, Jason.”

“I love you too, Robin.”

We work quickly, but efficiently, moving through each room of the house and getting all of the things that belong to her and her brothers. We stack everything in the front entrance so we can easily move it to the SUV later. We’ve only got the kitchen left, and we didn’t need any extra boxes.

My phone chimes. “My mom’s on her way,” I announce. “What now?”

“There are reusable grocery bags in the pantry. They’re mine. We’re packing up the food I bought too. I do the shopping and make the meals, so they don’t know what to do with it anyway.”

I open the bags for her. She organizes everything into categories and we pack it all. Then she takes down her whiteboards and brings them too.

“I… think that’s everything,” she admits, looking around in relief.

“Good. Let’s go.”

I load the boxes into the back of the SUV while Robin puts the groceries in the middle seat, leaving just enough space for herself. We get everything in one load, thankfully, and then head back to my place.

Our place.

Robin and my mom unload the groceries. I get the furniture out of the guest room and into the garage. None of it was really that heavy before, so I’m hoping my mom won’t question it too much. Robin cleans the room while I start carrying boxes inside, putting all of hers in my room and setting the rest in the living room for the moment.

Once the room is clean, my mom puts the rest of the groceries away while Robin and I build the bunk beds. Thanks to our enhanced abilities, one of us could do it alone, but we have to keep up the charade. My mom bought dressers to match, so we build those too, along with a nightstand. Once it’s all up, Robin carefully unpacks her brothers’ things and puts them away.

My mom comes in to check out the room, bringing the laundry hamper she got. “Very important with boys,” she winks at Robin, making her laugh. “You guys did a great job. Thank you so much.”

“It’s the least we can do, Beverly,” Robin quickly says. “I can make dinner tonight,” she volunteers.

My mom shakes her head. “We are ordering pizza tonight,” she insists. “We can discuss any chores and helping tomorrow. You need to rest. Want to help me put up your whiteboards, though? I’d love to use them in the kitchen for everybody.”

Robin nods eagerly. “Of course.”

They go off to do that. I wander back to my room and start thinking about how to reorganize it for Robin. I’m sure she doesn’t want to live in a teenage boy’s room.

I smile when she comes up behind me and hugs me. “Hey,” she murmurs.

I turn in her arms and lean down to kiss her. “Hey. We’ll fix my room up, okay?”

She laughs at me lightly. “I don’t care about that, Jason. I’ll be with you, and that’s what matters.”

I nod. “It’s time to go get them, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Let’s do it. I want them to feel safe in their new home.”

We tell my mom we’re going, then walk back to her old house holding hands. We only wait a few minutes before both of her brothers are dropped off.

Then we all walk back home, ready to start a different kind of life together.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason’s dad learns about the new additions to his family, and the Rangers are told that Jason and Robin are engaged.

**Jason**

Robin’s brothers are thrilled with their room. We get them set up at the table with snacks to do their homework. Pearl joins them, and we sit down to do ours too, stopping to help them when we need to.

Mom orders pizza for dinner. Dad is out on the boat until sometime tomorrow, probably. We eat and watch TV. So far, everyone’s getting along. I know it probably won’t last. They are kids, after all. But, for now, it’s nice.

Robin discusses bedtimes with my mom, then gets her brothers to bed. Then I get her to curl back up on the couch and set up a call on my phone with the other Rangers. They’ve been asking about us both all day, and since she was too busy to look at her phone, I’ve been keeping them updated.

When we hang up, I can tell she feels a lot better. She knows she’s not alone here anymore, and that matters to her.

“Why don’t we go to bed early, Robin?” I suggest. “Get some sleep?”

Her eyes are already almost shut as she leans against me. “That sounds nice.”

“Night, Mom.” I lean down and kiss her cheek as we walk past. “Love you.”

“Love you both,” she answers. “Get some rest. I’ll talk to your father about all of this when he gets home tomorrow.”

“I don’t really envy you that conversation,” I reply, making her laugh.

“It’ll be all right, Jason. I know it will probably be a bit of a shock for him at first, but he’ll get used to the idea.”

“I trust you, Mom.”

“Night, Beverly,” Robin adds. “And thank you again.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie. I’m very glad you’re part of our family now.”

“Me too.”

I get Robin into our room, undressing her except for her underwear and grabbing one of my shirts for her to wear, pulling it over her head. Then I pick her up and put her in bed, arranging the covers around her.

After making sure all of the lights are off, I put on my own pajamas and get in beside her, curling around her and holding her close as we fall asleep.

**Robin**

I wake up in the morning before our alarm goes off. I smile and snuggle closer to Jason. He’s warm and solid and he smells good.

I can hardly believe that I’m here with him and that I don’t have to get up and leave. I just get to be with him all the time now, and that’s the most incredible thing.

I sigh and roll over, giggling when I see that Jason’s hair is all messed up. I run my fingers through it and give him a quick kiss, not paying much attention as I hear the door open behind us.

“Jason, can you help me bring in my stuff from the…”

Jason’s dad’s voice trails off as Jason blearily sits up, finally opening his eyes. “Yeah, Dad, sure,” he answers.

It’s silent for a moment, and then his dad erupts. “What the hell is she doing here?” he yells.

Jason frowns. “What are you talking about?” he wonders as I sit up and look at his dad.

“Mr. Scott, didn’t Beverly tell you?” I ask.

“Tell me what?!” he yells again.

“Sam?” I hear Beverly say in the hallway. “Sam, what are you yelling about?”

“Our son’s girlfriend is in his bed, and no one seems concerned about that but me!”

“Well, you’re early,” Beverly yawns, covering her mouth with her hand. “I told you we had a few things to talk about, but you were too busy on the phone last night.” She slides her arm through his and tugs. “Come on. Let the kids get ready for school. I’ll explain everything.”

I breathe out in relief as Beverly mercifully leads him away. Jason and I both stay still for a moment, listening as they start to talk.

We can’t really hear what Beverly is saying, though we can obviously guess that she’s explaining the situation. Jason’s dad’s comments are far more audible.

“In the same bed, Beverly?!”

“Her brothers too?!”

Those are the loudest. After that one, Jason reaches for me. “Hey, babe.” He squeezes me comfortingly. “Don’t look like that, okay? He’ll be okay with it. He just has to get used to the idea.” He hugs me. “I don’t want you feeling like a burden, okay? We’re going to figure all of this out. I know it’s new right now and we need to find a routine, but we’ll get there. I promise.

I look up at him gratefully. “Thank you, Jason.”

“Come on,” he urges. “Let’s go get your brothers ready for school.”

We manage well enough. We don’t see Beverly or his dad before it’s time for us to leave, but we head out on time. We’ve already missed two days of school, and we have to get back on track.

At lunch, I’m tucking a piece of loose hair behind my ear when Kimberly squeals and grabs my hand. “Is that an engagement ring?” she asks, her eyes wide.

“Holy shit,” Trini chimes in. “When did that happen?”

I blush. “Saturday night,” I admit.

“And you’re waiting until now to tell us?” Kimberly shrieks. “Jason told us all that other stuff about your parents leaving and Jason’s family taking you in, and he failed to mention that?”

“Let ‘em have their privacy, Kim,” Zack drawls, bumping her shoulder with his. “Once everyone else finds out, they’re all just going to think she’s knocked up anyway,” he points out. “You better enjoy it while it lasts.”

I flush and scoot a little closer to Jason. “I’m not knocked up,” I mumble self-consciously.

“I’m uncomfortable with this line of conversation,” Billy decides. “Can we talk about something else?”

We all laugh. Kim quickly brushes off the comment. “We know you’re not knocked up, Robin. So when are you two getting married?”

“We have no idea, Kim,” Jason admits. “We haven’t even had a chance to talk about that yet.”

“I’m going to be in the wedding, right?” she presses.

I giggle. “Of course, Kim. I’ll tell you what. When we figure out what we want, we’ll let you help us plan the whole thing.”

“Yes!” She pumps her fist in triumph. “That’s all I ask.”

After that, Jason steers the talk to Rita. She hasn’t bothered us since we took care of the lamp, but she might soon, and he wants to make sure we keep to a training schedule, even though the end of this week is the beginning of our holiday break. We all agree that it’s a good idea. We want to be ready for whatever she throws at us next.

The gossip spreads fast. A lot of people heard Kimberly yell in the cafeteria, and I notice everyone staring at my hand for the rest of the afternoon. But I square my shoulders and hold my head high and ignore all the talk. Whatever the rumor mill says, I know the truth, and that’s what matters.

“Cat’s out of the bag,” Jason says as he grabs my hand and we start to walk home from school.

“Yeah.” I nod. “But it’s okay. I don’t mind people knowing. We just have to do what’s best for us.”

“A good philosophy,” he agrees, squeezing my hand and pulling me close. “Let’s keep living by it.”

I nod and lean my head against his shoulder. Adjusting to my new life might be a little stressful, but as long as Jason is here to help me, I know I’ll be all right.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rangers meet a new student, Tommy Oliver, and Jason feels a little insecure.

**Robin**

The next few weeks pass quickly as we fall into a rhythm at Jason’s. Beverly and I work out chore and cooking schedules so I can help around the house as a sort of payment for our presence. Pearl is thrilled to have me around, which is nice.

Jason’s dad takes to my brothers quickly when Maddox gets excited that he works on a boat and Austin tells him he likes sports. Maddox already wants to learn more about the fishing boat and work on it when he can, and Jason’s dad decides to let him. He and Jason play soccer with Austin, and Jason’s dad takes him to all of his games. There was never anyone to watch him before because I was too busy, and I’m glad he has some support now.

Austin also works with Jason as he fixes his truck. Jason gets a job with a mechanic in town so he can make some extra money. I get one at the diner we like. We’re busy, especially with catching up on schoolwork and Ranger training, but it’s a good kind of busy.

Shortly after Christmas, a for sale sign appears in front of my old house. It’s off the market quickly, and I feel even more relieved knowing that my parents are finally gone.

It’s the night before we go back to school when Jason’s dad comes home to find me putting dinner on the table and cleaning up the kitchen while everyone assembles. I’m shocked when he comes over and pulls me into a tight hug. I hug him back as he murmurs, “Call me Sam, okay, Robin?”

“Of course… Sam,” I reply, smiling up at him.

He nods and sits down at the table. He talks excitedly with everyone during dinner, telling me several times how much he loves my cooking. Jason kisses my temple and squeezes my waist from his spot next to me. “Told you you’d win him over,” he whispers.

By the time we head back to school after the break, everything has settled nicely. Rita has been silent, but we’re certainly not fooled by that. She could surface at any moment, and we feel like we’re ready.

Jason is jovial as we head into school. His ankle monitor is finally off, and even though he still has to pretend his leg will never be the same again, he doesn’t mind. Football is over too, and since the season went just fine without him, he seems to have been forgiven by the town.

As we make our way through the hallways, everyone’s talking about a new student who’s going to be participating in the Martial Arts Expo taking place in town this upcoming weekend. I don’t think much about it as Jason and I separate to head to class until I run into someone because I’m not paying attention to where I’m going.

“Oh!” I squeak, blushing. “I’m so sorry.”

He shrugs. “It’s cool. No harm done.”

I smile up at him. He’s about as tall as Jason, and has long brown hair and brown eyes. I don’t recognize him, which can only mean one thing. “You must be the new guy everyone’s talking about,” I observe.

He laughs and runs a hand nervously through his hair. “Yeah. I’m Tommy. Tommy Oliver.”

“Robin Ballard. Um, what room are you going to?”

“Uh…” He pulls his schedule out of his pocket and looks at it. “302? But I think I’m turned around.”

I laugh too. “You are. That’s where I’m going, though. I can show you.”

“I appreciate it. Thanks.”

“No problem.” We fall into step beside each other. “Made any friends yet?”

“I’m hoping you count as the first one,” he admits sheepishly.

“Of course. You should sit with me and my friends at lunch today.”

“That’d be great. I was not looking forward to being all awkward when I walked into the cafeteria.”

“Well, now you don’t have to be,” I reassure him.

We get to class and split off from each other, since the only available seat isn’t anywhere near me. We don’t have any other classes together that morning, but I make sure he knows where he’s going.

Jason meets me after my last class so we can walk to lunch together. “I invited the new guy to have lunch with us,” I tell him. “I ran into him in the hallway like a dork and he seems nice.”

Jason laughs and squeezes my shoulders. “Sounds fun. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”

I wave at Tommy as we approach the cafeteria. He’s leaning against the wall waiting, looking very awkward. But he brightens when he sees me.

“Hi, Tommy,” I greet him. “This is Jason, my…” I trail off and blush as I realize that I’ve never introduced Jason to anyone this way before. “Well,” I conclude, “my fiancé.”

Tommy is briefly taken aback. “Fiancé?” he repeats.

“Yes,” I confirm. “Not exactly what you expect in high school, I know.”

Tommy shakes his head. “It’s up to you guys. I think it’s kinda cool.”

“Let’s grab some food and head to our table. We can introduce you to our other friends.”

We move through the line quickly, then join everyone else. I introduce them all to Tommy and they make him feel very welcome. He tells us all about the upcoming Martial Arts Expo, clearly nervous about his ability to win. We all assure him that he’ll do fine and promise to come watch if we can. We also promise to celebrate after, regardless of what happens. Even though no one says it, it’s clear that he’s invited to have lunch with us from now on. We’re not going to be exclusive just because we’re Rangers.

After school, Tommy has practice, and we’re all training. When we’re done, Jason and I hop up into his truck to head home.

I scoot over and lean against him, nudging his side, deciding to finally address how silent he’s been since lunch. “You’ve been quiet this afternoon,” I observe. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed. What’s up?”

Jason sighs. “I know. Wanna go to the beach? I’ll let my mom know we might be late.”

“Sure.”

I can wait for him to tell me what’s on his mind. For now, I just lean against him, watching as the trees and other scenery fly by the window.

When we get to the beach, he backs the truck up so we can sit in the bed and look out at the waves. There’s no one else here because it’s really too cold to swim, but the atmosphere is calming. I can hear the waves lapping on the shore, and there’s a slight breeze that makes it very comfortable to sit in the warm circle of Jason’s arms.

I tip my head back against his chest and look up at him. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong now?” I ask.

He sighs and squeezes me tight. “Tommy’s nice, isn’t he?” he starts.

I feel my forehead crinkle as I gaze into his troubled blue eyes. “Yes, he is,” I answer slowly, “but I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”

Jason bites his lower lip, then murmurs, “He’d be better for you than me.”

I blink rapidly, sitting up and turning so I can kneel and loop my arms around his neck. My nose rests against his as I whisper, “What in the world are you talking about, Jason?”

He smiles at me sadly. “He’s sweet and he’s handsome, and he knows martial arts. He’s going to have a great reputation around here. And he seems really, you know, confident. Not fumbling, like me.”

I laugh lightly and kiss Jason briefly. “Jason Scott, you are absolutely ridiculous,” I tell him.

He shakes his head. “I’m not, Robin,” he protests. “I love you, and I know you love me. I trust you more than anyone, and I know you would never even think of being with anyone else while we’re together. But if there’s someone out there who’s better for you than me, I don’t want to deny you that.”

I slide my hands forward and move them so I’m cupping his cheeks. “Jason, you are the sweetest man I know, and the most handsome,” I assure him. “And you know martial arts too,” I point out. “We all do. Maybe not as much as Tommy. I don’t know. But that isn’t even what matters. I don’t care about that.”

His eyes get wider as he listens to me, his arms encircling my waist so he can pull me closer. “I don’t care about your reputation either, Jason. Otherwise I never would have started dating you in the first place. And it’s getting better every day. The football season was fine, and people are forgiving you. You know that.”

He starts to protest, but I put my fingers on his lips, not letting him. “I’m not finished,” I say softly. “Tommy said yes to sitting with us today because he was nervous, Jason. He wasn’t as confident as he seemed. And don’t forget that I thought you were incredibly confident before we really talked. It was only after your accident that I started to notice, and it made me realize that you were just a person like me. You being unsure just made you more real, and even though I want to reassure you every chance I get, I never want to forget that you can think like that too, no matter how handsome and skilled you are.” I run my fingers through his hair and smile at him gently. “Jason, I love you and trust you more than anyone. There is no one out there who is better for me than you. You are my family. You are my home. You were so many firsts for me, and I want you to be the last too. I don’t ever want anybody else. Do you understand?” I finish.

Now he can’t help the smile that spreads across his face. “I understand,” he agrees.

I smile and lean forward to kiss him deeply, wrapping my arms around his neck again. He kisses me back eagerly until both of us are gasping for breath.

We’re still alone on the beach, and there are blankets in the back of his truck. “You told your mom we’d be late, right?”

He nods, understanding what I’m saying. We quickly stretch one blanket out over the bed of the truck, throwing the other over ourselves.

I push him down onto his back as the blanket settles around us, brushing my nose over his teasingly, making him smile. He reaches down and pulls my skirt up, sliding his palms up my thighs until he’s squeezing my ass.

I start to kiss him again, grinding against him at the same time. He’s already almost entirely hard in his tight pants, and he shifts uncomfortably beneath me as I reach down to undo his button and zipper, pushing his pants and underwear down enough for him to spring free.

He gasps in relief, his hands moving to play with my hair as I slide down to take him into my mouth. I push my panties down as I do, sucking and swallowing around his entire cock, getting him wet.

Not that he needs to be. I’m already wet for him. But I know that he likes this, and I like doing it for him.

“Robin, please…” he groans, his hands on my head.

He’s not making me do what he wants, just feeling what I do. I let my lips pop off of him, my tongue swirling around his head. “Please what, Jason?” I ask.

“I want to be inside you,” he begs.

I kiss his tip and slide back up. “Okay,” I murmur.

As we kiss again, he flips me over, making sure the blanket doesn’t tangle around us. He pushes my skirts up again before spreading my thighs and sinking into me.

I moan, grabbing his shoulders and wrapping my legs around him as he starts to move. Today, he’s urgent, his hands roughly clasping my waist for leverage as he thrusts into me hard. The truck rocks gently beneath us. Anyone walking by would probably be able to figure out what we’re doing.

Our first time was incredible, especially considering that neither of us had done this before. But I’m still shocked that it just gets better and better every time. We learn each other more and more, are driven to please each other more and more, and understand what the other needs without even asking.

So I hang on tight, letting him drive into me over and over. It’s not long before I’m arching beneath him and coming hard around him, but he doesn’t stop. He keeps going until I’m crying out beneath him as I come again. This time, he comes with me, gasping harshly against my neck as we tremble together.

He takes a shaky breath and kisses my cheek tenderly. “I’m glad you want to be mine, Robin,” he whispers.

I squeeze him gently, opening my eyes and looking up at him as he hovers over me. “I always want to be yours, Jason,” I assure him. “All right?”

He nods and smiles. “We should clean up and get back,” he suggests.

“Let’s jump in the ocean really quick,” I decide. “I know it’s cold, but…”

He grins. “Whatever my girl wants.”

We put our clothes back on, then throw the blankets off, bringing them onto the sand with us so we can wrap ourselves in them after we go in. The water is cold, just like I knew it would be, but Jason hangs onto me the whole time and keeps me warm.

We jump back into his truck wrapped in the blankets. Everyone gives us weird looks when we run into the house soaking wet, but we just laugh it off.

“What?” Jason asks. “We jumped into the ocean.”

We sneak a hot shower together, kissing and touching the whole time, then join everyone for dinner.

I really don’t know how life could be more perfect right now.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rangers face a new foe.

**Jason**

We all attend the Martial Arts Expo on Saturday to cheer for Tommy. I sit with my arm draped over Robin’s shoulder, turning and kissing her cheek every once in a while. The competition is fierce, but Tommy is really good. He definitely deserves to win, and he does.

“Too bad we can’t make him a Ranger,” Zack murmurs to all of us.

I nod in agreement, and so does everyone else. He’d be a great Ranger, if we had another Power Coin for him to have.

Tommy is supposed to hang out with us after he spends some time with his parents, but he never shows. We text him, but he doesn’t answer.

Trini shrugs as we all head to the diner to eat. “Maybe his parents didn’t want to let him go. And they might have taken his phone or something. We don’t know if they’re super strict or whatever.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Robin agrees, but she doesn’t exactly look like she’s buying it.

I happen to agree with her. Tommy doesn’t seem like the type to ditch his friends without any word at all, despite his parents.

I’m still mulling it over when our communicators activate and we get a garbled message from Alpha. I can’t even make it out.

“Did anybody get that?” I wonder worriedly.

Billy shakes his head. “I couldn’t understand it.”

Kimberly stands. “We should go check it out.”

“Yeah, we can eat later,” Trini agrees.

I put some cash down to pay for the drinks that haven’t been delivered yet. “Let’s go,” Zack urges.

We all head outside, slipping away as fast as we can without raising suspicion. Once we’re out of sight, we all start to run, heading for the ship.

When we get to the gorge, nothing looks unusual. I’m about to tell everyone to jump in when a maniacal laugh erupts behind us.

I whirl, surprised to see another Ranger there. He’s dressed all in green, and I swallow, remembering what Zordon said about Rita corrupting the green Power Coin.

“I think we found the green Power Coin, guys,” Billy announces unnecessarily.

“I think you’re right, Billy,” I murmur, sliding instinctively in front of Robin, even though I know that she can take care of herself.

“You are right, Billy,” the Green Ranger answers. “I’m Rita’s Ranger, and I’m here to destroy all of you.”

“It’s six against one,” Kimberly scoffs. “You can’t take us out.”

The Green Ranger laughs again. I try to listen to figure out who he is, but I can’t quite place the voice. “Care to put that to the test, Pink Ranger?” he wonders.

“You’re on!” Trini snaps.

She and all the other Rangers look at me for confirmation. I nod.

“It’s morphing time,” I say calmly.

A few moments later, our armor has snapped into place and we’re ready to fight him.

“No weapons unless we need them!” I command. “This guy could be on our side if we can fix that Power Coin, right?”

“I think so!” Billy calls.

“Okay. Then we’re aiming for incapacitation. Let’s go!”

We all leap into action. The Green Ranger stays where he is, then pulls out a dagger that really doesn’t look like much at all. But when he swings it in an arc, electricity erupts from it, hitting all of us in a wave. I feel my suit crackle and fall to the ground along with everyone else.

“Ow,” Zack mutters.

The Green Ranger laughs that maniacal laugh again. “Feeling confident now, Pink Ranger?”

Kimberly huffs. “Fine, maybe I shouldn’t have run my mouth,” she mumbles.

Slowly, we all struggle to our feet. But the Green Ranger already appears to be done with us. “We’ll meet again soon, Power Rangers!” he promises, then runs down the hill.

By the time we get up and follow him, he’s gone.

“Where did he go?” Trini wonders.

“No idea,” I answer, deactivating my armor. “But we need to go talk to Zordon.”

We all leap into the gorge, moving a little slower than usual. That dagger stunned us all pretty good.

When we get to the ship, we realize we have even bigger problems. The place is trashed. Zordon’s wall is empty, and Alpha is disabled. Billy looks him over while we all stand around worrying.

Finally, he announces, “I can fix him, but it’s going to take a while.”

“You can tell your mom you’re sleeping over at my place tonight,” Zack offered. “I’ll stay up here with you.”

“Thanks,” Billy tells him.

“What about Zordon?” I ask. “I don’t even know where to start without his guidance.”

Billy shrugs. “Maybe once I fix Alpha, he can help me with that.”

“I think that’s a good plan,” Trini agreed, looking around at all the disconnected wires. “I don’t want to see what would happen if we hooked all this shit back up wrong.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to be electrocuted again,” Kimberly said sarcastically. “What was that out there, anyway?”

I shake my head. “Some kind of special weapon like ours?” I guess. “Maybe something Rita found or had stashed away?”

We all stand there in silence. I turn to Robin. She’s been oddly quiet, and I’m a little worried about her. “Babe, are you all right? Did you get hurt?”

She shakes her head and glances up at me, her brow furrowed. “Didn’t you recognize his voice, Jason? Anyone?”

Everyone slowly shakes their head. “I thought I recognized it, but I couldn’t quite place it. Do you know who it was?”

“Of course,” Robin says sadly. “We saw him at the Expo today.” She sighs. “The Green Ranger is Tommy.”


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Green Ranger begins his plan to separate the Rangers and deal with them one by one.

**Robin**

Everyone is silent for a moment as they process the information. “Are you sure?” Kimberly asks quietly.

I nod. “I’m sure. He’s certainly worthy to be a Ranger. But like Jason reminded us, Zordon said that whoever found the green Power Coin would be corrupted. And we have no idea how to undo that corruption.”

“So Tommy found the green Power Coin,” Zack recites, starting to pace, “and it corrupted him. Now he’s working for Rita.” He stops and frowns. “Why wouldn’t Rita just take the coin back? Wouldn’t she want it for herself again?”

“Maybe she can’t,” Trini points out. “It chose Tommy, and he wasn’t bad until he got it, right? At least not that we saw. So maybe when she lost it, it kind of reset. It’s still choosing the way it should, but she just messed it up or whatever.”

“That makes sense,” Billy chimes in, his tongue sticking out of his mouth slightly as he works on Alpha.

“We can reverse it, right?” Kimberly adds. “I mean, he can’t just be corrupted forever, right?”

“Right,” Jason agrees firmly. “We’re going to find a way to help him. We owe him that. Then he can join us if he wants to.”

“Maybe we should approach him at school,” I suggest. “He might have the same rules we do about morphing in public. Maybe not. But if he does, we might be able to talk him out of this, or at least get some kind of clue about how to handle the situation.”

“That’s not until Monday, though,” Jason sighs. “I don’t know if I’m comfortable with that. He could do a lot of things tomorrow if we just wait.”

“Well, do we have any idea where he might be?” Zack wonders. “We could look for him.”

“Billy.” Trini snaps her fingers. “Can you find his Power Coin now that we know he has it? Before, we were looking for it and it wasn’t attached to someone. How about now that it’s chosen him?”

Billy pauses his work on Alpha and nods. “I think I can. Hang on.”

He pulls the device he created to track the Power Coin out of his bag, then activates it. After fiddling with the dials for a moment, he turns it around and shows us. “He’s the blinking light.”

Jason nods. “All right. I’ll go find him. Maybe just one of us won’t be so threatening. The rest of you stay here and help Billy. If he shows up, you can protect each other.”

I grab his arm as he turns to leave, shaking my head. “No. No, you don’t get to go alone, Jason. That’s too dangerous. I’ll go with you. Tommy knows me best, anyway.”

“You had about five more minutes with him than the rest of us, Robin,” he protests. “You saw what he did. I’m just trying to keep all of you safe in case you have to take him down.”

“Jason, we are all Rangers,” I remind him gently. “I know you’re trying to protect us, especially after what happened during our fight with Goldar. You’ve been trying to make that up to us ever since. And I know you’re trying to protect me,” I tell him softly, holding both of his hands in mine. “But you don’t have to. We can all handle ourselves.”

“Nobody dies alone, remember?” Kim grimaces after she says it. “Although hopefully it’s not that serious this time.”

Jason swallows and stares at me. “All right,” he relents. “Robin comes with me. Kim, Trini, and Zack stay behind to protect Billy and the ship. We can’t risk this damage getting worse.”

“Agreed,” Trini says. “Go. We’ll do everything we can here.”

Jason and I take Billy’s device and leave the cave. As we follow the light, which tells us that Tommy is now somewhere in downtown Angel Grove, I keep our fingers laced together.

“Jason,” I start. “You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened during that first fight with Rita. We are not the same team we were then, at all. You don’t always have to jump to being a sacrifice. There has to be more in your playbook.”

He smiles slightly at the football analogy, but shakes his head. “I’m the leader, Robin. It’s my job to call it right so that no one has to suffer. And you’re going to be my wife. That means it’s my job to protect you.”

“You are the leader, Jason,” I agree. “But that doesn’t mean bearing everything for us. It means letting us help you. And while I am most definitely going to be your wife, it’s not 1910,” I tease him. “We can protect each other. Okay? I appreciate the thought more than anything, but this can’t be about me over you. Not ever.”

I swallow and glance at him out of the corner of my eye, worried about how he might respond. But his smile has grown bigger, and he nods at me. “All right,” he agrees.

I laugh. “That easy, huh?”

He grins. “I like it when you boss me around. It’s… brave. I like that you’re not afraid to call me on my bullshit. You’re comfortable enough to be honest with me.”

I smile back at him. “Somebody’s got to, Scott,” I joke, squeezing his hand.

He laughs as we continue to follow the signal. Finally, it brings us to an alley between a few shops and restaurants in Angel Grove.

I gulp as I realize that Tommy is standing with his back to us. He’s not wearing his Ranger armor, so maybe we’ll be able to reason with him.

“Tommy.”

I say his name softly so I don’t startle him. He stiffens and turns. Jason is holding my hand tightly, clearly itching to step in front of me and take control of the situation. But he doesn’t.

“Tommy, please, listen to me. We know what’s happening to you, and we want to help you,” I tell him. “You’re one of us. You’re a Ranger. Let us free you from Rita.”

My eyes widen as his flash green. “Rita is my empress,” he intoned hollowly. “I serve only her.”

Jason grimaces. “I think this is bigger than just some kind of corruption,” he murmured. “It’s like he’s under a spell.”

“Maybe the corruption weakened him and Rita cast a spell on him as an afterthought,” I suggest softly.

Tommy reaches into his pocket and we both flinch, but we relax a little as we see that all he’s pulled out is the green Power Coin.

Then he chuckles darkly and it starts to glow an eerie green that’s studded throughout with black. Jason clenches his fist and I touch his arm, trying to get him to stay calm.

“Tommy, just come with us,” I beg. “Please. This isn’t you. I know we don’t know each other very well, but we know enough to realize you don’t want to do this. You’re a good person. We can find a way to keep you safe from Rita until we know what to do with your Power Coin.”

Tommy shakes his head. “I think I’ll just take you all out one at a time. Starting with you, Jason. You’re the leader, aren’t you?”

Jason moves forward and Tommy’s Power Coin shimmers. A green beam shoots out of it and hits Jason. Then he disappears.

My chest tightens and I swallow down my panic. I have to keep my head, especially since I’m now alone in this alley with Tommy.

“What did you do to him?” I ask, trying to keep my voice even.

But it trembles, giving me away, and he knows. He smirks and slides the coin back into his pocket. “Missing your boyfriend already, Robin? Oh wait. He’s not just your boyfriend, is he? He’s your fiancé. Gosh, I hope he gets out in time for the wedding.”

He laughs maniacally, clearly not wishing for any such thing. “Gets out from where, Tommy?” I ask.

“A prison Rita made. Don’t worry. You’ll all see it eventually.” He tilts his head from side to side, studying me carefully. “Then again, maybe you won’t.”

Before I can react, he’s kicked me. Hard. I fly back to the mouth of the alley, rolling and catching myself before I skid out in front of the people still walking around downtown. When I look back up, Tommy is wearing his armor.

I glance over my shoulder. I can’t risk activating mine from this vantage point. But if I could get behind him…

I push up and run, jumping and landing on him, planting my feet against his chest and pushing down on his shoulders. He falls and I leap off. By the time he gets up, I’ve activated my armor, making sure my helmet is opaque so no one will be able to see my face, and pushed the SOS button on my communicator.

“Give him back,” I demand.

Tommy laughs again. “Beat me and maybe I will.”

Then he runs at me. I put my arms up to block his punch, but it still knocks me back a bit. He’s strong, even for a Ranger. I don’t know if that’s just him, or if it’s Rita’s spell.

I try to counter, but he grabs my arms and throws me. This time I tumble right out of the mouth of the alley and into the middle of the street. I put my arms over my head as a car swerves around me and people start screaming.

I struggle to my feet, shaking my head to clear it. “Everyone get out of here!” I yell loudly. “It’s not safe!”

As if to prove my point, Tommy flips out of the alley toward me. I try to grab his foot and twist him off balance, but he turns deftly and twists me instead. I flip over and fall again, and before I can get back to my feet, Tommy is yanking me up by the back of my neck and tossing me.

I roll, catching myself, breathing heavily. When I rise back up this time, he’s standing still, and even though I can’t see his face through his helmet, I know he’s staring at me.

“You’re not putting up much of a fight, Purple,” he sneers. “Don’t you want Red back?”

My heart twists in my chest. I want Jason back more than anything, but I still don’t want to hurt Tommy. It’s not his fault this happened to him. It’s Rita’s fault for corrupting the green Power Coin, and our fault for not finding it before he did.

“Of course,” I reply heavily. “But I want to help you too.”

“You help me. That’s cute. I don’t need any help, Purple. If you knew what was good for you, you’d join with me and serve Rita too.”

I shake my head once. “I’d die before I did that,” I said firmly.

“Then I’m happy to oblige you!”

He pulls out the dagger he used on all of us before. Knowing that I can’t let him hit me with it, I summon my staff and run at him. When he raises the dagger to defend himself, he brings it down on my raised staff and electricity crackles up and down it.

I can feel it starting to scorch the armor on my hands as I hold on tight. I scream as they start to smoke, but I don’t let go. I’m afraid of what will happen if I do.

Then an arrow whizzes past my head and hits him in the shoulder. I lift my leg and push him back, dropping my staff and looking at my palms. My armor has practically melted, and my skin is burning.

I expect Tommy to come at all of us with the dagger again, like he did before. But instead, he just stands, points it at us, and sneers, “I’ll get you all eventually, Rangers! First I’ll take care of your leader, and then the rest of you will fall to me one by one!”

Then he vanishes, leaving us standing alone in the middle of an empty street.

The pain in my hands is intense, and suddenly I can’t breathe in my helmet. Kimberly quickly pulls me into the alley, deactivating it and putting her hands on either side of my face. “Deep breaths, Robin,” she instructs. “Deep breaths. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

“He’s gone, Kim,” I gasp. “He’s gone. I don’t know where. How am I supposed to go home? How am I supposed to tell his parents that I don’t know where he is?”

“Zack and Billy were already planning a fake sleepover. He’ll just become an attendee. And we’ll say you’re staying the night with me and Trini, okay? We’ll all stay in the ship and work on finding Jason. But for now, we need to get your hands looked at and see how Billy is doing with Alpha. The sooner he gets him fixed, the sooner he can help us.”

I nod numbly. I know she’s right. We have to be smart about this. If I lose it right now, I’ll just damage our chances of getting Jason back. But it’s still hard to know that he’s out there somewhere. Anything could be happening to him, and right now, I’m powerless to stop it.

Trini joins us in the alley. “Okay, I took a quick look and the damage isn’t that bad. Luckily, no one was hurt but us.”

“Good.” Kim nods. “Let’s go. We can’t risk anyone finding us here.”

We change out of our armor and leave the alley, hoping it looks like we were just hiding during the fight. Kim and Trini stand on either side of me, supporting me and hiding my hands. I can feel them starting to heal already, which is good.

But I know my heart isn’t going to heal as easily if something happens to Jason. No matter what happens, I have to find him, and soon.


	30. Chapter Thirty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason finds himself trapped in Rita’s prison.

**Jason**

I cough, turning over onto my back as I wake up. It’s dark, and my armor is gone. I reach for the communicator on my wrist and press it. “Hello?” I ask, my voice raspy. “Is anyone there?”

But all I hear is static. I wonder if the communicator is broken, but I hit the SOS anyway just in case.

I swallow and then push myself up off of the floor, blinking and trying to figure out where I am. There are no visible windows or doors, and barely any light except a slight green glow to everything.

I lean against one of the walls and start to slide my way along it, feeling for any cracks or openings that might indicate a hidden door. I go around twice before I’m sure there’s nothing.

Then there’s a flash and the Green Ranger is standing in front of me. I straighten, staring him down. “Where are we?” I ask calmly.

Really, I’m on the verge of panic. Not for myself. I’m all right, at least for now. But I have no idea what happened to Robin after I left, and I’m worried about her.

“In Rita’s prison,” he explains, sweeping his arms out and gesturing to it around us. “And there is no escape, so don’t even try.”

I believe him. It doesn’t mean I’m not going to keep looking, but at least at first glance, there is no way out of this place.

“And why am I here?” I wonder.

“Why, it’s my grand plan,” he admits. “To separate you and wear you down one by one. Although taking you might get me two. Robin was very upset that you were gone.”

My fist clenches at my side. “What did you do to her?”

“We fought. She’ll heal. This time. I just wanted her to suffer a bit more before I deal the final blow.”

His armor disappears and he grins at me. It’s easier to look at him when he’s the Green Ranger, honestly. Seeing Tommy, the kid we all know from school, who definitely isn’t this cruel, is hard.

“Just like I’m going to play with you a bit before we really get down to business,” he promises.

He moves fast, and his punch catches me in the stomach before I can react. I stumble backward, then grab his foot as he tries to kick me, pushing him back.

He grins again. “You still have some fight in you, Jason. That’s good. I like a challenge. It’s no fun if you don’t fight back.”

I could fight harder, but the problem is that I don’t really want to hurt him. It’s clear that Tommy is under some kind of spell. It’s not his fault he’s acting like this, and he’s one of us. It’s our job as Rangers to save him.

We spar for some time. He’s testing me, seeing how good I am, and even with my enhanced powers, I’m not better than him. I know that immediately.

Finally, when I’m gasping for breath and covered in sweat, he stops. “I’ll be back, Jason,” he assures me. “I’m going to wear you down, and when it’s not fun to play with you anymore, I’ll finish you off. But not before I grab your little fiancée and torture her a little in front of you. And I’m sure it will destroy her to watch you die.”

I can’t say anything to that. I’m trying not to get angry with him. I don’t want to lose my temper and make him take it out on the others, or finish me sooner than he’s intending to. I’ll put up enough of a fight as long as I can to survive.

“She certainly fought tonight,” he taunts me. “Demanded that I return you to her. It was sweet, really. Ultimately futile. I might have finished her off, or taken her right then and there to join you here, if your little friends hadn’t interrupted. At least I burned her a little.”

I can’t tell if he means it literally or metaphorically. I hope it’s the latter, but I have a feeling it’s not.

“I’m going to find a way to help you, Tommy,” I promise. “My friends will come through. I know it.”

The comment upsets him, just like I knew it would. He wants me to get upset. He wants me to lose my cool. I’m not going to give him that satisfaction. At least not now.

“I’ll be back,” he growls. “We’ll see if you’ll be able to handle another round, Red Ranger.”

He vanishes in a flash of green and I’m left alone. I sit down and lean against the wall. I have to try to rest, to preserve my strength for whenever he comes back again. I know that the other Rangers will figure this out eventually, so all I have to do is hold out until then.

I just hope it doesn’t take them too long. Rita might get impatient, or Tommy might jump the gun if he gets too excited. And if that happens, I have no idea what I’m going to do.


End file.
